It Happened at Band Camp
by SabCynAri3
Summary: AU - Sam and Mercedes meet while dropping their kids off at band camp. Attraction was immediate and their relationship continued well beyond that week in the summer. After a few hiccups in the beginning, it was smooth sailing until Sam's ex-wife becomes determined to stand in their way. Will she succeed. Read to find out. Story is told primarily from Sam's POV.
1. Prologue

_Seated on the patio at our favorite table at Pandillo's bistro, I drum my fingers on the crisp white tablecloth as the waiter sets a glass of sweet tea on the table in front of me. "Are you ready to order ma'am?"_

"_Not just yet. My lunch date is fashionably late as usual." He nods and smiles as he walks away. I unwrap my straw and drop it into the glass. As I lift the glass to bring the straw to my lips, my phone rings. I place the glass back onto the table and smile as I answer._

"_Hi there."_

"_Hey beautiful. How are you?"_

"_Good. How are you?"_

"_Much better now. My meeting just wrapped up which means that I am on my way to you. Ten minutes tops."_

"_OK. I'll be here. See you soon."_

"_See you soon baby."_

_I grin as I end the call and sit the phone back down on the table to take a sip of my tea. Sitting the glass back on the table, I pick up my phone and pull up my email. Might as well get a little work done while I wait for him. I pull up the first one, read it and then tap the reply icon to respond. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit?" I look up from my phone to find an attractive woman staring back at me._

"_I'm sorry, I'm waiting for someone." I try to wave her off and re-focus my eyes back on my phone._

"_This will only take a minute." She pulls out the chair across from me and sits down placing her purse and a folder on the table in front of her. A slight look of amusement is displayed on her face._

_I eye her as she appears to get comfortable at the table. "Do I know you?"_

"_No, but we have an acquaintance in common."_

_I regard her cautiously and then decide I'll humor this exchange for a few minutes more. "Oh, and who would that be?"_

"_Sam Evans." At the mention of his name my heart drops a little._

"_How do you know Sam?"_

"_Let's not worry about that at the moment but now that I have your attention I know you have been spending a lot of time with him and I'm sure you've had your fun but it's time for you to disappear." I still as I place my phone on the table in front of me._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Sam is not serious about you. I mean how could he be when he could have me? So here is what is going to happen. You are going to cease all communication with him immediately."_

_Is this bitch for real? "I don't know who you think you are-"_

"_I'm the only one who really matters to him, so like I said you are going to stop all communication with him today, right now in fact."_

"_And if I don't?"_

"_Trust me, you will. Or else-"_

"_Or else what?" Try me trick, just try me._

"_Or else I'll have to make your life very uncomfortable."_

_Yeah, this conversation is over. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you are but you need to back the hell up and get out of my face."_

"_Listen sistah, Sam is mine. We had a misunderstanding which led to us being apart but we are on the mend and I don't need you interfering. So you are going to remove your desperate ass from his life."_

"_Desperate? You call me desperate but from where I am sitting it looks like there is only one thirsty chick at this table and I am looking at her. Now like I said, you need to get out of my face because you know nothing about me!" She smirks at me as she picks up the folder and opens it._

"_Mercedes Catreece Porter, maiden name is Jones – age 36 divorced mother of one daughter Allyson Marie Porter, Ally for short, age 14. She attends Donaldson Academy. You live in Buckhead, in a quaint two-story three-bedroom house. You work for Rose and Potts, a marketing firm in Midtown. Your parents, Jeremy and Eliza Jones live in a small town in Kentucky, called Shelbyville, which is your hometown in fact. Dr. Jones is a prominent dentist in the area and your mother is an interior designer. Your brother Michael is a firefighter in Chicago." As she speaks, my heart drops and I instinctively bite down on my lower lip. She pauses and I watch as her eyes scan over the contents of the folder. She then slowly shakes her head as she continues. "He's had several near-death experiences, I'd hate for his hazardous work to result in his untimely demise, wouldn't you? Now your ex-husband, Spencer Porter also aged 36, owns an art gallery in Midtown. He now 'bats for the other team' as they say. He and his partner Alistair Gables live in Inman Park. They haven't really experienced any bashing behind their sexual orientation but that could definitely change." As she continues to spew off the details of everyone who matters to me, my face goes slack and my eyes remain glued to the folder. Who is this woman and why is my dating Sam a cause for her to come after me and my family like this? _

_My eyes dart down to the fidgeting fingers in my lap as a knot forms in the pit of my stomach and I feel myself becoming dizzy. "Who are you?"_

"_Oh, I'm sorry. You're right, I haven't properly introduced myself, I'm Sam's wife."_


	2. Un-welcomed Blast from the Past

**I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

* * *

Wednesday September 2nd (One week earlier)

Using my hands and hips, I have her pinned against my black Lexus LX 570 as I lick, suck and gently bite her soft luscious lips. "Baby I need you. I don't know how much longer I can take it." She turns her head slightly and I take the opportunity to gently bite her neck. "I need to be balls deep inside you like yesterday." I bring my right hand up and cradle her left breast as I begin sucking and nipping on her neck. "You have Ally this weekend?"

"Yes, but she's going to a sleepover Friday night." She slides her hands underneath the back of my suit jacket placing her hands on my lower back while I trail my tongue from her neck to her jaw line. "Will you have Zack Friday night?"

I still and look at her. "Shit." I slowly nod my head. "I'll have him Friday night then he is going to his mother's on Saturday." I move my mouth back to her neck. "But he is old enough. I can leave him for a few hours to-"

"Nope." She gently pushes against my chest, closes her eyes and shakes her head. "We agreed remember. Time with the kids trumps everything else."

I open my mouth to protest but then just stop. "I must have been drunk when I agreed to that. Those little cock blockers just don't know."

She swats me hard on the ass as she lowers her head against my chest and laughs. "Sam Evans, I cannot believe you just said that."

I chuckle as I take her chin between my fingers and raise her head. "I speak the truth woman." I arch an eyebrow at her. "Maybe we can forego one of our lunch dates and meet at my place." She looks in my eyes as she considers my suggestion. A gentle breeze kicks up and blows through her hair causing me to slowly inhale and study her. I tilt my head to the side. Her dark brown eyes, cute button nose and those delicious, plush, soft lips. "Nah, scratch that. I'm going to need a hell of a lot more than an hour. I need a whole fucking night with you. Just you and me and no interruptions. So, we need to make this happen soon before I have to resort to abduction." Her hands return to my back.

"We'll find some time babe." She places a loud, wet kiss against my neck. "But right now, I need to get back to the office." I poke out my bottom lip in a small pout and groan. She leans up and sucks it into her mouth. I grab her head with both hands as my tongue plunges deep into her mouth. My action startles her for a second but she quickly recovers. She sucks on my tongue as her hands move around from my back to my sides. Her fingertips trail up the sides of my torso and then back down as I feel her drawing away. I groan in protest as she mumbles into my mouth. "Call me later?"

"You know I will beautiful." She plants several quick pecks on my lips as I ease my hips off her. Her hands slowly fall away from my sides and I allow my right hand to trail down from her head to her back and then to her ass. I hold it for a few moments and then allow my fingers to linger as she moves over to climb into her red Ford Edge. "Drive safe baby."

"You too." I open the door as she gets in her car. I close the door behind her while she starts the engine and lowers the window. "I miss you already."

I bend down and give her another quick kiss. "Me too baby." She shifts the car into drive and pulls slowly away as she lightly taps on her car's horn. I wave at her as I climb into my car and make my way back to my office.

* * *

I arrive back at work and use my private elevator to enter my office unnoticed. I remove my suit jacket and hang it on the coat rack next to the back entrance to my office. Once I sit down at my desk, I call my assistant, Harriett.

"Yes Mr. Evans, sir?"

"Harriett, I'm back from lunch. Can you step into my office for a moment?"

"Yes sir." A few seconds later there is a knock on the door.

"Come in."

She appears and walks toward my desk. "Did you have a good lunch sir?"

"Yes, I did in fact. Any calls or messages while I was out?"

"Yes. Thomas in HR wanted to know if you could move your two o'clock to two-thirty Sven in IT said your laptop will be ready by three and that he would deliver it personally. I confirmed your meeting with Rose and Potts at the Hyatt conference center on the 16th from three to seven. And Mr. Williams the principal at Wallingford High called and asked to set up a meeting with you next week."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No, he did not. Would you like me to call and get more information?"

"Yes, please and let me know as soon as you find out the reason for the meeting. Let Thomas know two-thirty is fine and for the meeting at the Hyatt please reserve the Alexander room. I'll probably want to get some food delivered as well but I'll confirm that with you by the end of next week. Also, can you have someone from maintenance come up and take a look at my elevator? There's a knocking sound above the car when it's in motion."

"Yes, sir. I'll have Howard come look at it immediately."

"Thanks Harriett." My phone chimes and I glance over at it to see a message from my girl. "That will be all." I pick up my phone but still when I notice that Harriett hasn't moved. I look up at her with a confused stare and she lowers her eyes to the floor. "Is there something else?"

"Mr. Evans you have a visitor. The former Mrs. Evans has been waiting to see you for a little over an hour."

I place my phone back on the desk, audibly groan and close my eyes as I sit back in my chair. What the fuck does she want? I don't want to deal with her right now. Not on the heels of such a fantastic lunch date. Opening my eyes, I rest my elbows on the arms of the chair and lace my fingers across my stomach. I look over at her. "I'll call you to let you know when to show her in. She can wait a little longer."

"Yes sir." She turns to leave.

My voice calls out to her as she nears the door. "You know, the afternoon should be pretty quiet so once you've cleared any pressing tasks take the rest of the day off and enjoy!"

"Sir?"

"You heard me right. You've more than earned it."

"Thank you, Mr. Evans." I nod and smile at her as she exits. I pick my phone back up to read my baby's message.

_**Just wanted you to know that I've been subjected to smirks and school boy giggles thanks to your vampire-ish ways So thanks!**_

I grin as I remember marking her neck while she was pinned against my car. I send her a response.

_**Aww baby you're more than welcome. I couldn't help myself plus it was a good way of letting all those fuckers know that you're taken**_

_**Payback's a bitch. Remember that**_

_**Well don't threaten me with a good time *wink* *wink***_

_**Ass**_

_**Yes please**_

_**?**_

_**I'll have some ass, some pussy and some titties. Do you deliver?**_

_**LOL you're a fool. I'm getting back to work now. Talk later**_

_**Talk later darlin'**_

As I am responding to an email I look up at the time on my computer monitor and see it is 2:15. I call Harriett and tell her she can show the uninvited visitor into my office. I hang up the phone and begin proofreading the email. A soft knock on the door sounds and then the door opens. "Have a seat. I'm finishing up something here so just give me a few more seconds."

"Sure." She sits and then places her purse on the small table situated between the two chairs in front of my desk.

I re-read the email again from the beginning and then press the send icon. "So, to what do I owe this visit?"

"I just wanted to stop by and see how you are."

"I'm great."

"That's good to hear. And how are your folks?"

I shake my head. "No, we are not going down that road. This isn't a social hour. I have another meeting in about…" I glance quickly down at the clock. "Thirteen minutes so can you get to the point?"

"Must you always be so hateful towards me?"

"How am I supposed to be toward you?"

"Forgiving. I made one stupid drunken mistake six years ago."

"And I forgave you a long time ago." I stand, walk around my desk and then lean against the edge crossing my arms against my chest. "Is that why you are here? To ask for my forgiveness?"

"Partly." She clears her throat and then looks up at me. "So, what do we do now?"

"Do about what?"

"About getting back together."

I tilt my head and narrow my eyes at her. She cannot be serious. She looks at me with those hopeful eyes that I know so well. She is serious. I uncross my arms and grip the edge of my desk. Leaning slightly forward, I lower and shake my head at her admission. I didn't mean it, but I cannot contain the laughter that begins to build within me. I bring my head back up and look at her. "Please tell me that this is some kind of joke."

"Why would it be a joke?"

I chuckle. "Look, yes I've forgiven you but that in no way means that we are getting back together. The only relationship we will have will be as co-parents to our son. You remember him, right? You know the one you haven't mentioned once since you walked into my office? You need to focus on being the best mother you can be for his sake and get over any thoughts you have of us getting back together because it simply is **not** going to happen. Ever. I've moved on and more importantly, I'm not interested."

"How can you just throw all of our history away like that? You were my first everything Sam. We belong together."

"Was I the first man you cheated on?" I glare at her as she lowers her head. I exhale gruffly. "Sorry but I'm not going through this again. The moment you thought it was OK to spread your legs and fuck that random guy in our bed was the moment you gave up any chance to be with me again. I thought you would have moved on by now, but I guess not." A beep sounds from my desk phone. "Look, my next appointment is here so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Can we talk about this some more later?"

"There's no need. I've said everything I need to say."

"What about what I need to say?"

"What do you need to say?"

"That I'm sorry."

"Oh, well yeah. That fixes everything. You should have said that a long time ago. Oh wait, you did and like then those words mean absolutely nothing to me." I stand and walk over to the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have another meeting." I open the door and gesture for her to leave. She picks up her purse, stands and slowly walks toward me. She leans over just as she reaches me and smiles.

"You just need a little bit more time Sammy and I am willing to give you that." She places her hand on my forearm. "I promise when we are back together I will make up for all the hurt that I caused you. And don't forget, I remember just how you like it." She winks at me as she leaves.

I sigh softly and shake my head as I look up to greet Thomas. I reach out my hand to him and he shakes it. "Come on in Tom. Sorry to keep you waiting." He enters the room as I tell Harriett to have a good evening.

* * *

After finishing up my workday, I am home and stretched out at one end of the couch while Zack is stretched at the other. We've just finished dinner and I'm scrolling through the on-screen television guide for something to watch.

"There's nothing good on Dad. Let's find something on Netflix."

I toss the remote to him. "Knock yourself out." He catches the remote and begins scrolling through the screen icons for Netflix.

"So, Dad I've been meaning to ask you something. You really like Cedes, don't you?"

I grin to myself as images of our lunch date pop-up in my head. "I do."

"I like her too. She's fun. I like how she puts you in your place." He chuckles under his breath.

"Only because I let her." I nod affirmatively at him. "I'm glad you like her. I know she likes you too and you and Ally seem to get along great."

"Yeah Ally-Oop is cool. It doesn't hurt that she is into Superman too." He clears his throat before continuing. "So, is Cedes like your girlfriend?"

"I think I'm a little too old to refer to her as my girlfriend, but I guess that is what she is. She is the woman that I hope to have around for a very, very long time. How would you feel about that?"

"I would be happy with that." He selects _Transformers_ and then starts the movie. "So, when are you going to tell her?

"Soon son. I promise I will do it soon."

"Good cause I'm ready to go home." We watch the movie for a few minutes before a chime sounds from my phone. I pick it up off the table.

_**Baked chicken alfredo with salad and breadsticks ok for dinner tomorrow?**_

"Hey Zack attack, baked chicken alfredo, salad and breadsticks sound good for dinner tomorrow?" He nods. I begin typing a response to her but stop when I hear him talking again.

"Tell her that her favorite Evans man would love some of those peanut butter chocolate chip cookies too." I playfully narrow my eyes at him and he laughs as I throw one of the couch pillows at his face.

_**Sure and your fav Evans man would also love some of your peanut butter chocolate chip cookies**_

_**Oh yeah? Well tell Zack I said hi and the cookies will be waiting for him**_

_**Ouch but that's ok because this Evans man wants some of your other cookie *wink* *wink* I already know it will be my favorite.**_

_**Oh and which cookie would that be**_

_**You know the one with the cream filling.**_

_**OMG you are so crazy**_

_**Maybe but I speak the truth and just so you know the cream filling is my favorite part. I will spend hours trying to get to it and then just as long enjoying every last bit**_

Zack chucks the pillow back at me hitting me on the head. "Are you going to watch with me or are you going to continue to text your 'not sure what to call her' girlfriend?"

_**Sorry baby gotta go.. my little cock blocker is giving me the eye. Call you at bed time**_

_**LOL K talk to you then**_

About thirty minutes into the movie, I feel his eyes on me, but I don't look up to meet them. "Do you love her Dad?" Through my peripheral vision, I see him watch me for a few seconds before he turns his head back toward the television.

His question catches me completely off guard. I stare at the screen for a few moments. I do love her, but I haven't told her yet. Should I tell him before I tell her? I don't want to be dishonest with him. He and I have always been open and honest with each other about everything, so I don't want to change the foundation of trust I've built with him especially after all of the bullshit he had to endure behind his mother's infidelity. I exhale and look over at him. I wait until he looks up at me before answering his question. "I do Zack. I really do. I just haven't told her yet."

"Why not?"

"Mainly because I don't want to scare her off but also because I'm a little afraid that she doesn't feel the same way. We've only been seeing each other for a few months."

He nods and then turns his eyes back to the television screen as I do the same. "I think you should tell her."

"I'm planning to. I've just got to tell her everything else first."

He turns to look at me again. "She won't care Dad. I could tell that from the start. And you. The way you look at her and act around her. I've never seen you like that with anybody not even with mom. She has turned you into the cool, fun dad!"

I chuckle as I look over at him. "Oh, so I used to be the mean, boring dad?"

"No, not mean. More like the serious, work-a-holic dad. Before, we didn't go out much. Our weekends were mainly me inviting friends over while you worked. Now, we go out almost every weekend. It's great. We have dinner and game nights with Cedes and Ally and it's like the best time I've ever had."

"It is for me too buddy." I turn back to the television and smile to myself at the conversation we are having then I look back over at him. "I'll tell you what, I'm going to work on making both Cedes and Ally permanent fixtures in our lives. You just have to be patient."

"Cool." He smiles and flips the remote in his hand. "Just don't mess it up dad."

"So happy to know how much confidence you have in me son." I toss the pillow back at him.

He laughs. "And if you need any help from Cedes' favorite Evans man just let me know."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." I chuckle and shake my head.

* * *

After saying good night to Zack, I take a shower and then climb into bed. I pick up the phone and make my usual night time call. She answers after a couple of rings. "Hey you."

"Hi beautiful. How are you?"

"I'm good. I was just laying here waiting for your call. How was your evening?"

"It was fine. How was yours?"

"It was good. Ally and I had an interesting conversation."

"Oh yeah? About what?"

"About us. She wanted to know if you were my boyfriend."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I told her yes. I mean you are, aren't you?"

"You bet your ass I am but there's nothing _boy_ about me." I pause and chuckle at the eye roll I know she just gave me. "Interestingly enough, Zack and I had a similar conversation."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That I was too old to have a girlfriend but that's what you are."

"They planned that."

"Of course they did. It's just too coincidental for it not to have been."

"Yeah I know."

"I also learned that I used to be a boring dad. But now because of you I am the cool, fun dad."

"So my coolness is rubbing off on you huh?"

"Seems so. I just wish something else of yours was rubbing up on me right now."

"I swear I have to watch everything I say around you."

"No you don't. Just go with it."

She giggles. "Did you and Zack talk about anything else?"

My mind races. I bet Ally asked her if she loved me. I wonder what her answer was. "Not really. We were watching Transformers."

"Well Ally started in on Metropolis again. I think we should at least get the trip planned. What do you think?"

"Sure, sounds good."

"Maybe this year before it gets cold. We can make it a long weekend trip like Thursday to Sunday. They are out of school for a teacher's in-service day on 23rd of October. We could plan it around then."

"OK, I'll check my schedule and let you know. Is yours clear for that weekend?"

"Yep."

"OK, if my schedule is free I will make our travel arrangements."

"OK good. They will both be happy to hear that." I hear her stifle a yawn.

"Yes, they will. Ok baby, I hear you yawning and it is getting late so I will let you get some sleep but first to get back to you rubbing up on me, what are you wearing?"

"My 'Just Do It' t-shirt."

"And?"

"Really?"

"Yes really. I need the full visual. Or we can switch to FaceTime or Skype and I can see for myself. "

"You know what I am wearing."

"Mmm. Which ones?"

"The black ones."

"Hot damn." I groan softly. "My second favorite. Hair up or down?"

"Up."

"Mm hmm. Sexy as fuck." I allow the image to overtake my mind. "OK baby go to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"OK, good night babe."

"Good night beautiful."


	3. Family Fun Night

**Sam's ex-wife's name will be revealed in time…..**

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Thursday September 3rd

Arriving at my office the next morning, I call Harriett and ask her to bring me some coffee. A few minutes later she enters carrying my coffee and with a concerned look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"The former Mrs. Evans is here again to see you."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, sir. She arrived a little after eight."

"Dammit." I pound my fist against my desk, and I notice her body jerk. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." I look over at my schedule. "My first meeting isn't until ten. While I have half a mind to have her just sit there for another hour and fifteen minutes, I don't like the thought of her just hanging around." I sit for a few moments as I take the coffee from Harriett. I take a couple of sips and then place it on my desk. "This showing up uninvited stops today. I'll be out in a few minutes and will escort her out. Please contact security to be on standby. I don't want her back in the building."

"Yes, sir."

"Now on to more pleasant topics. How was your afternoon off yesterday?"

"Oh, Mr. Evans. It was wonderful. I was able to meet up with a few friends for an early dinner and then spent the rest of the day with my grandson."

"Aww, and how is little Jamison? He's getting big I bet."

"He is and just so full of life. We went to the park and after about thirty minutes of chasing him around I felt like I had run a marathon. But it was the best time I've had in a long while. Thank you again Mr. Evans."

"You're very welcome Harriett. I'm glad to hear that you had such an enjoyable day."

"I did. I'll go give Hank a call."

"Thank you."

I power up my computer as I take a few sips of my coffee. I'm still reeling from the fact that my ex-wife is here again. I don't know why she thinks she can just show up at my office anytime she wants to, but I am putting a stop to it now. She can try to give me that song and dance now about wanting me back all she wants but I know the real reason all too well. She realizes now how much she fucked up. I finish off my coffee and stand to have Harriett re-fill it while I escort her to the lobby. I know she is going to make a scene but hopefully she will be on her way through the exit door before she realizes what's happening.

I open the door and approach Harriett's desk. "Harriett, can you get me some more coffee please?"

"Yes Mr. Evans." I hand her the cup as we make eye contact and I nod. I turn and find my ex-wife looking up at me.

"Good morning.

"Good morning Sam."

"What can I do for you today?"

"I wanted to finish our conversation from yesterday. I was hoping to catch you early enough so that any meetings you may have wouldn't interrupt us."

"Well, as I said yesterday, I don't have anything else to say."

"But I do."

"OK, well I am going downstairs to get a bagel before my first meeting. You can walk with me and say what you have to say on the way."

"No, I'll just wait here until you come back if you don't mind."

"Actually, I do mind. You can probably tell that I am not a huge fan of you hanging around here. So, you can either walk with me now or I will have security come up here and escort you out. Your choice."

"I guess I'm going to walk with you.'

"Good choice." We walk toward the elevators and stand in silence while we wait for a car to arrive. I look down to check my watch and realize that she is staring over at me.

"Look, I know this is not a friendly walk down to get a bagel."

"Sure, it is. You had something to say so I suggest you say it. I've got a busy schedule today, so I am trying to fit you in now." The car arrives and I gesture for her to enter. Once we are both inside, I press the button for the first floor as she starts her usual rant.

"OK, well I think that you should seriously consider making our family whole again. I know Zack would be thrilled and it would be good for him."

"I agree." I glance up at the digital display and watch as the car descends.

"Wait what?"

I lower my eyes to her shocked face. "I agree Zack would be thrilled to have his family back together again and it would be good for him."

She smiles at me through watery eyes. "Oh, Sam."

I hold my hand up to clarify. "Let me finish. He said something to me just last night that made it clear to me that he misses the family unit he once had with us before your infidelity. So, I've made a decision that I need to do whatever I have to do in order to fill the void he has now."

"I promise Sam, you will not regret this." She wipes her eyes with the back of her hands. I raise my eyes to re-focus on the floor indicator.

"Oh, I know I won't because you are not part of the family picture that I am painting for him." I lower my gaze again to look at her.

"What?"

"I've tried to make myself clear, but you just don't seem to get it. I don't know what else to say or do to get you to understand so I will try one last time. You only exist to me as Zack's mother. You and I will never be part of the same family again. I've moved on and you need to do the same."

"Wait a minute. Just wait a minute." I watch as her eyes quickly dart from left to right several times and then she lowers her head. She then raises it and looks me in the eye with a half-scowl on her face that I have come to know all too well. "Everything you just said about painting a family picture. If you think that I am going to stand by and let some other bitch mother my son, you've seriously underestimated me."

I smirk at her angered face. "No, it's not like that at all." I shake my head slightly and sweetly smile at her. "Believe me, you will be the only bitch mothering our son." My jaw clenches as the elevator bell rings and the car comes to a stop. The doors open and I turn my head to see Hank waiting. I quickly nod and then escort her out of the elevator as I return my focus to her. I place my hand on the elevator door to prevent it from closing. "So, here we are. I need to make this clear to you. You are no longer welcome in this building. If you come within 50 feet of the entrance you will be cited for trespassing, no questions asked. Now, my head of security Hank and this nice officer here are going to explain everything else to you. Have a good day." I step back onto the elevator and press the button for the top floor as I watch Hank and the officer escort her to the security office.

* * *

A few minutes later I am back at my desk and reading through emails. My phone chimes and I pick it up smiling because I know that it's my girl but then I immediately scowl when I see who it is really from.

_**Real asshole move Sam but I won't give up on us so easily.**_

I exhale forcefully as I place the phone back on my desk. I'm not going to engage with her. That's the best thing to do right now. I focus back on my email for a few minutes until my phone rings. I pick it up and this time it is my baby. "Good morning darlin', how are you?"

"Hey you, morning. I'm great. How are you?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic now that I'm talking to you."

"Aww. So, what's the verdict on going to Metropolis?"

"We're a go. I was thinking we should rent a condo for the weekend instead of staying at a hotel. What do you think?"

"I like that idea. Other than the Superman themed sites I don't know what else they would want to do so we could still do our dinner/game night. They both seem to really enjoy those."

"Agreed. So now for the all-important question. Do I look for a three or four-bedroom condo?"

"Well, I think after our conversations with each of them last night, they know we are a couple, so I don't see anything wrong with getting a three-bedroom."

A big smile spreads across my face. "Awesome. You can't see me, but I am doing my happy dance right now."

"You're so silly. But hey, just because we are sharing a bed on this trip doesn't mean that there won't be any rules mister."

"Rules schmules."

"I'm serious but we can talk about it later."

"OK. Do you have everything we need for tonight?"

"Yes. We were at the market yesterday when I texted you, so I got everything then."

"Alright. We should be there no later than 5:30."

"Sounds good babe. My first client is here so I gotta go. I'll text you around lunchtime."

"OK baby. Have a good day."

"You too."

A knock sounds on my door. "Come in."

"Mr. Evans, I just hung up with Mr. Williams from Wallingsford High. He wants to meet with you about a possible donation to the school to renovate the auditorium."

"I had a feeling that was what he wanted. Try to schedule something early next week, preferably here but if I have to go to the school that's fine too."

"Will do. Also, since you will be in back to back meetings today, would you like me to place an order for lunch?"

"Harriett, what in the world would I do without you?"

"Oh, I think you'd get by."

"Maybe, but it wouldn't be the same. Lunch completely slipped my mind. Will you be ordering something too?

"Yes, I was thinking that we hadn't had McAllisters in a while."

"You're right and that sounds good. I'll have a chicken salad sandwich with cole slaw and a sweet tea please."

"OK, I'll go pick it up around noon."

"Sounds good."

"Do you need anything else right now?"

"Yes, can you bring me the flat files on the Bearman account? I want to review the actual contract before my call."

"Sure, I'll get that for you now."

"Thank you." A couple of minutes later she returns with the file and then turns to leave. "One more thing. Can you look up some condo rentals in or near Metropolis Illinois for October 22nd through the 25th? I need a three-bedroom condo and look for rentals with family-friendly amenities."

"Sure. I'll bring you a few to choose from sir."

"Thank you."

* * *

My 11:00 call wraps up at 12:10, that gives me twenty minutes before my next call. As if on cue, a knock sounds at my door and Harriett comes in with lunch.

"Thank you. I'm starving."

"Anytime. You also have a couple of cookies in there from Megan. She told me to tell you hello."

"Well, that was nice of her. You take one and I'll have the other."

"Thank you. I'll be at my desk if you need me."

"Stay. Sit and have lunch with me."

"Sir?"

"Have lunch with me." We move over to the conference table and take seats as we both open the containers. "So, tell me, how's your husband Ray doing?"

"He's doing fine. He's recently started gardening."

"Oh yeah. And how is that going?"

"So far not too bad. But he has the attention span of a gnat. Since he's retired, he has had so many projects I've lost count. I go home everyday just waiting for him to tell me he's bored with gardening and is going to try something else."

"He doesn't want to do any part-time work? That may help with the boredom."

"He mentioned it before but really couldn't find anything that he wanted to do even part-time."

"What about driving a school bus? There's always a need for bus drivers. He could work a few hours in the morning and/or a few hours in the afternoon. He wouldn't have to do both unless he wanted to. I think that would help with his boredom and break up his day."

"That's actually not a bad idea."

"He could even only work certain days if he wanted to. You should have him look into it."

"I will." My phone chimes and I look over and see that it is a message from Mercy. I pick up the phone and read it.

_**How's your day babe?**_

"I'll let you get that." Harriet stands and makes a move to pick up the container her food is in.

"No, wait. Just let me let her know that I will text her later."

_**Good. Having lunch with my assistant, I will text you back in a bit.**_

_**K**_

I turn my attention back to Harriett. "Now, just to finish up our conversation. He should try to get routes for elementary school kids. The kids in middle and high school may be a bit of a challenge, you know teenagers. The attitudes and rebellion. That could possibly lead to stress which defeats the whole purpose. But that's just my opinion."

She nods her head in agreement. "I know what you mean. All good points and I will definitely share that with him as well." She takes a sip from her cup and then clears her throat. "You know Mr. Evans, if you don't mind me saying it, you seem a lot more relaxed these days. It's nice. You work so hard and have a lot on your shoulders." She lowers her eyes to her food. "Call it women's intuition and forgive me if I am overstepping but could this change have anything to do with a special someone?"

I still for a moment and then slowly finish chewing the food in my mouth. "Now Harriett, you know that I am a private person. I don't share details about my personal life with anyone." I wipe my mouth as a deep frown appears on my face. "But." I slowly turn my frown into a smile. "I want to change that, especially with you." I chuckle at her reaction as a warm smile appears on her face. "So, yes to answer your question there is a special lady in my life."

"That's wonderful sir. I hope I am fortunate enough to meet her soon." She continues to smile as she takes a bite of her sandwich.

I watch her for a few seconds. "That's it? You're not going to ask me any questions about her?"

"I don't want to pry Mr. Evans."

"But I'm giving you an invitation to pry." I grin over at her as I finish my slaw.

"OK." She wipes her mouth with a napkin and then looks up at me. "How long have you been seeing her?"

"About three months. We met in June when I took Zack to Gainesville for band camp at UF."

"So, she was the reason for the hotel reservation change?"

"Yes, and it was the best decision I ever made. Her daughter was there for band camp as well. We hit it off instantly. Zack adores her, and her daughter Ally is great. Her and Zack are the same age. The condo rentals I have you looking up are for the four of us. Both Zack and Ally have been bugging us to go so we decided to try and get the trip done before winter."

"I've found a couple so far but want to look a bit more."

"OK. And since I will be gone that Friday, you should take the day as well. Plan something for you and your husband, my treat."

"Sir, I cannot let you do that."

"Then it's a good thing I didn't ask for your permission. You two like casinos. Plan a weekend in Vegas and use your company card."

"Ray will be thrilled. Thank you, Mr. Evans."

"Harriett, for everything you do for me around here it's the least I can do."

She glances down at her watch. "It looks like it's about time for your 12:30, sir. I'll bring the information on those rentals to you in the next couple of hours." She stands and clears the table of our trash.

"Sounds good." I stand and move back over to my desk. I take a seat and move the mouse to wake up my computer.

Her voice causes me to look in her direction at the door. "I really enjoyed having lunch with you today sir. Thank you for the invitation. And just because you gave me the invitation to pry into your life a little bit, I'm going to make one more observation. This lady of yours has had a profound impact on you. It's very nice to see you like this."

"You know, Zack said something similar to me last night. All I have to say to that is, what took everyone so long to tell me to take the stick out of my ass?" I give her the biggest smile she has probably ever seen on my face.

She laughs and smiles back. "Have a good meeting Mr. Evans."

"Thanks Harriett."

My office phone beeps and I pick up the receiver.

"Yes, Harriett."

"Sir, there has been a last-minute cancellation on your 12:30 meeting."

"OK, is it being rescheduled?"

"I don't have any information on that just yet but I will find out and let you know."

"Thanks."

I place the receiver back in the cradle and decide to use my free time to get back with my girl. I send her a quick text.

_**Busy?**_

_**Nope having lunch at my desk**_

I call her. "Hey baby."

"Hi there."

"What are you having?"

"A turkey and cheddar panini from the deli around the corner. What did you have?"

"Chicken salad from McAllisters."

"Yum. So how was lunch with your assistant?"

"It was good. I found out that she has noticed the change in me too."

"What were you before you met me a grinch or something?"

"Apparently. I asked her why no one told me to take the stick out of my ass before and she just laughed."

I hear her clear her throat. "So, tell me about your assistant."

"What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you want to tell me."

"She's nice. She takes great care of me."

"Oh, and how does she do that?"

"Why what is this? If I didn't know any better I would say that I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice."

"I'm not jealous."

"Oh, OK. Just making sure. But like I was saying she's nice and takes great care of me. She gives the best back massages. Let's see, she's been my assistant for about two years and today was the first time that we actually sat down and had lunch together. It was quite nice actually. I should probably invite her to eat with me more often."

"What does she look like?"

"She about 5'3 with platinum blond hair and big blue eyes. She has a petite frame with full hips. She wears this ruby red lipstick, man it's something else. And her perfume, wow. I'll find out the name of it and maybe get you a bottle."

"Oh, well she sounds nice."

"She is, she really is." I take a few moments to let my words hang in the air. I can feel her mood go sour and the silence from the other end of the phone is deafening.

"Well, I need to get back to work. Should I still expect you and Zack for dinner tonight?"

"Of course."

"OK, I guess I'll see you then."

"OK, and um Mercy?" I cannot take it anymore. Her mood is completely off-putting and her voice is low and hushed.

"Yes?"

"Baby, my assistant Harriett is a sixty-three-year old grandmother. She's been married for almost 40 years. And that perfume she wears? Same one my mother wears."

"You're an ass."

"Maybe, but, I'm your ass."

"Why did you do that to me?"

"Why didn't you just come out and say you were jealous?"

"Because I don't want to be _that_ girl."

"O-K." I pause for a moment and then continue. "Explain please."

"You know the girl that can't take the thought of her man spending time with another woman."

"OK, stop. Did you hear what you just said?"

"What?"

"You referred to me as your man. Remember that. I'm _your_ man. Say it."

"You're my man."

"Yeah, and your man is smiling so big right now."

"Probably not as big as I am."

"Let's just call it a draw."

"OK."

"So, I need to get back to work but I do have a request for tonight."

"And what's that?"

"Wear a dress or a skirt with the lacy hot pink boy shorts for _your_ man."

"Done."

"I'll see you later beautiful."

"See you later Sammy."

* * *

After work, I drive to the apartment, take a quick shower and then put on my favorite jeans and a polo shirt. As quick as I think I managed to get showered and changed, Zack constantly reminds me that I am not moving fast enough for him. We hop into the car and then arrive at Mercy's precisely at 5:30. Ally answers the door. "Hey guys. Come on in."

"Hey Ally. How are you doing, sweetie?" I give her a big bear hug. She grunts softly as I squeeze her.

"I'm good Sam. Mom's in the kitchen." I nod at her as she and Zack flow into their usual banter. I round the corner from the hall to the kitchen and stop dead in my tracks when I see her. She is wearing a lavender mini skirt and a purple tank top with a ruffled collar. Her back is to me at the moment and I lean against the door frame and just drink her in. Her ass in that skirt, hell her ass in anything makes my cock twitch. Wow. I clear my throat loudly and she turns her head to see me biting down on my bottom lip.

"Well hey there." She turns to fully face me and smiles.

"Hey baby." My eyes scan up and down her body. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Oh, I think you know. And I just have to say.." I lower my voice as I walk toward her. "You're lucky the kids are here." She rolls her eyes at me and turns her body back toward the sink as I lean down to whisper in her ear. "Your ass in this skirt? Fucking spectacular." I leave the smallest space between our two bodies as possible. I know that if my cock comes in contact with her ass, nothing will be able to stop me from grinding into her, little cockblockers be damned. I lick the shell of her ear and lean up to kiss her temple as my hands rest on her shoulders.

"Mom, is it ready?" We both turn toward the doorway.

"Not yet. Still need about twenty minutes."

"OK, we are going to go out back and jump on the trampoline."

"OK. And please no flips guys unless you're going to put the net up." They both nod and then dart out the back door letting the screen door slam behind them.

I grin when I realize the kids are occupied. "Now, where was I?" I lean forward, grab her left earlobe between my lips and gently suck on it. I move down to her neck and scan the area for my marks. She must have sensed my confusion.

"Makeup."

I nod slightly and then kiss the side of her head. I wrap my arms around her waist as I bury my mouth against the other side of her neck to mark her there instead.

Again, she senses my intention. "Babe, no."

I huff and solicit a giggle from her as I place a loud wet kiss against her neck instead. "Can I help with something then?"

"There's really nothing left to do. Alfredo is in the oven and the breadsticks will go in a few minutes before we sit down to eat."

I raise my head and look over at the stove in confusion. "How did you get all this done in less than thirty minutes?"

"I sautéed the chicken and cooked the bacon last night. I just had to boil the pasta and heat the broccoli when I got home today." She turns and wraps her arms around my neck. "So, have you found any good condos for our trip?"

"I have five for us to look over and choose from. Look." I pull the printouts out of my back pocket and hand them to her. She releases her hold on me, takes the papers from my hand and walks over toward the kitchen island.

She quickly scans through each page and then looks a bit more closely at the first page. "I like the look of all of them but we can't judge on appearance alone. What about each of the neighborhoods?"

"Based on the notes at the bottom of each page, all are in the best areas. I really think the only thing that sets one apart from another is the kind of amenities they have. Three of them have pools, two don't. I think a couple have huge television screens. One has a pool table. There are several other differences too."

After she looks over the last page, she hands the papers back to me. "Maybe we should let the kids choose?"

"I'm fine with that."

She smiles up at me. "They are going to flip when they find out." She walks over to the oven and I turn to allow my eyes to follow her. She pulls the door down and leans down a bit to check on the pasta. I can just about make out the outline of her boy shorts in that skirt.

"Yeah I know they are going to be pretty excited but enough about that." When she closes the oven door, I grab her hand and lead her out of the kitchen. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Just somewhere where I can put my hands on you the way I want to for a few minutes."

I pull her into the hallway bathroom and close the door behind us. I turn her around and wrap my arms around her waist as I plunge my tongue into her mouth. Her hands go to my hair and she gently tugs on it as our heads angle and the kiss deepens. After many moments, I draw away from our kiss and rest my forehead against hers. The warmth of her breath tickles my chin as we both try to calm our heavy breathing. "Turn around." She turns slowly and I lift the hem of her skirt up to her waist. "Sweet Jesus." Leaving her skirt up, I turn her to face me again and palm her ass. I close my eyes, throw my head back and moan softly as my hands knead the flesh. Her ass is just too perfect. The perfect size, the perfect shape, the perfect feel, it's just perfect. I could lose myself for hours between her cheeks. I hear her giggle and open one eye to glance down at her and see her smiling up at me.

"You really are an ass man, aren't you?"

"When it comes to you Mercy, I'm an everything man."

She closes her eyes and shakes her head at my response. "Come on before you cause me to burn dinner." I tap her ass lightly and then push her skirt back down as she runs her fingers through my hair in an effort to fix it. When she is satisfied, she leans up on her tiptoes and gives me a quick peck as I open the door for us to exit.

I call the kids in from the backyard several minutes later. They both enter the back door sweaty and out of breath. "After you wash your hands, you two can get ice for the glasses. We have tea, lemonade, milk and water. Sam and I will bring the food over." I use the salad tongs and place salad in each of the bowls already on the table.

After drying his hands, Zack presses the lever for the ice dispenser and fills each glass with ice. "What would you like to drink Cedes?"

"I'll have lemonade Zack. Thank you."

"Sure. Dad?"

"I'll have tea. Thanks buddy. And can you bring the salad dressing over too?" He nods as he opens the refrigerator and takes out the half gallons of tea and lemonade. Ally gets water for both her and Zack, picks up the basket of breadsticks from the island and then sits down at the table. I sit down in the seat to her right. Zack places the tea and lemonade back in the refrigerator, takes out the ranch dressing and then sits to Ally's left. Mercy brings over the casserole dish filled with chicken alfredo and places it in the center of the table. She grabs a small stack of paper napkins from the island and hands each of us a few. She then sits down to my right.

"Oh my god Cedes, this looks and smells so good."

"I hope you like it, Zack. It's one of Ally's favorites." She gestures for him to go first and he scoops some out of the dish and places it on his plate.

Ally goes next and she takes three scoops. Zack gives her a look and she shrugs at him. "Like mom said it's my favorite."

I gesture for Mercy to go next. She takes two scoops and then hands me the spoon. I scoop out two scoops as well. "Dig in everybody. Tell me what you think."

Zack takes a big forkful and immediately goes back to the casserole dish to get more. "Zack!"

"What Dad? I have to get some more before Ally takes all of it." He continues until he has scooped three more scoops onto his plate. He puts a couple of forkfuls into his mouth and then smiles over at Mercy. "Cedes this is delicious."

"Thanks Zack. I'm glad you like it." We eat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before I reach to get some more pasta as well. Zack narrows his eyes at me and Ally just nods her head and grins as she continues eating.

"Babe, this is quite tasty. I need to get some more too before these two empty the dish." I scoop two more generous helpings onto my plate. I take another bite and smirk at Zack. "So guys, we have a surprise for you two."

"What?" Ally takes a napkin and wipes her mouth as her eyes bounce between me and her mother.

Zack face displays a slight smile. "What is it dad?"

"I'll let Mercedes do the honors." I look over and wink at her.

She looks at Zack, then Ally and then back at me. "I don't know. I think we should wait until after dinner."

"No mom. What is it?"

"Please Cedes please, don't make us wait."

"Oh, OK. Well, I hope you two don't have any plans for October 22nd through October 25th because we are taking you to Metropolis."

"For real? You're serious. You've planned it and everything?" Zack leans forward toward Mercy as Ally does what I assume is her happy dance.

"We have both taken the time off work and the plane tickets have been purchased. Now we need you two to pick which condo you want us to rent for the weekend." I pull the printouts from my back pocket and sit them on the table between me and Ally. "There are five to choose from. Three have pools and two do not."

Zack shakes his head frantically. "Those two are out already."

"Right!" Ally picks up the printouts and leans over toward Zack so that they can look at them together.

"OK, well look at those three and tell me which one you want us to book."

Ally resumes her happy dance. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. You guys are the best."

"You're welcome. Now, let's finish dinner and then you two look over the condos together before we play our game." Mercy holds her hand out and Zack places the printouts in them as he nods with a toothy smile before shoving another forkful of pasta in his mouth.

"Can we play a few less rounds tonight? We want to look over the condos and then we are meeting Randy and Miles online to play _Call of Duty_ at 7:30."

"Sure, that's fine buddy. Although if you want to forego the game altogether tonight that's fine too."

"No, I want to play. I like the trash talking you do even though you always lose. I'm just trying to fit everything in before we have to leave."

"Alright. And I don't always lose."

"Yeah you do." Ally snickers as she takes a drink from her glass.

"Ally? I thought we were friends."

"We are Sam, but it is so much fun to watch you tell us how bad you are going to beat us and then you have to eat your words." A soft snicker comes from my right side. I turn to look over at her.

"You turning on me too beautiful?"

"No babe. But they're right, it is pretty funny."

* * *

With dinner finished and the condo for our trip decided, we are all seated down in the basement in the den to play Phase 10. The kids are seated on the floor at opposite ends of the coffee table. Mercy and I are seated on the other side of the coffee table at opposite ends of the couch. Zack has dealt the cards and Ally is keeping score.

I pick up my cards and organize my hand. "Oh yeah, y'all are going down tonight. The tides they are a-changing." I look over at Zack. "I love you son, but I must take you down now. It's nothing personal, just business. You understand, right?"

"Sure Dad."

"Well I can show you better than I can tell you." Ally goes first, draws a card, plays a set of threes and a set of nines and then discards. Mercy goes next, draws a card, plays a set of tens and then discards. I'm up next. I draw a card, play a set of fives and a set of sevens and then discard. "Boom!" Zack shakes his head at me as he takes his turn. He draws a card, plays a set of ones, a set of twos, a set of eights and then discards. I look over at him and narrow my eyes. "Big deal. That was just luck." He smiles, shakes his head and laughs. Ally takes her next turn, draws a card, hits my set of ones, Mercy's set of tens and then discards. Mercy draws a card, hits both my sets of fives and sevens, Zack's set of twos, Ally's set of threes, plays a set of twelves and then discards. "That was just luck too!" She rolls her eyes at me as I take my next turn. I draw a card, hit Ally's set of threes, Mercy's set of twelves and then discard with a smirk at Ally. "It's just you and me. I feel a battle coming. No crying now. It's not allowed." Ally shifts up from the floor and sits back on her feet as she draws another card. She hits her own set of threes, my set of ones and then discards. I feel all their eyes on me as I look down at the two cards left in my hand. Both elevens. "I only lost because I was the last player." They all just cackle at me.

"Sure Dad."

"Is that all you can say?"

"No. I can also say LOSER!"

* * *

After playing five phases, I only progressed to phase 2. Ally was on phase five. Mercy and Zack both ended on phase four. We all end up back in the kitchen as the kids each grab a few peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk to take back downstairs while they play _Call of Duty_.

"One-hour Zack then we have to go."

He turns to look at me before going down the stairs. "OK."

Mercy starts putting the leftover pasta into a container. I pick up the plates from the table and rinse them before putting them in the dishwasher. "Do you want to take some of the alfredo with you?"

"Sure, that would be great." I lean back against the counter next to the sink to watch her. She places half of the remaining pasta into another container and then snaps a lid on top of it. She opens the refrigerator and places one container inside on the second shelf. She then places the leftover salad mix and salad dressing on the top shelf. She closes the door and then moves over to the sink. She turns on the faucet, but I lean over and turn it off. She looks up at me with confused eyes.

"So, the kids are having their dessert. Can I have mine now?"

"Sure, help yourself." She moves to turn on the faucet again, but she stills as I press my body flush against her back and attach my lips to her neck. I snake my hand underneath her skirt and gently rub her boy short covered clit. "What are you doing Sam?'

"Having my dessert."

"I thought you meant the cookies."

"I do. Just not those. This one." I move my hand up and then under the waistband of her boy shorts and run my finger down her slit. "Come with me." I grab her hand and walk out of the kitchen.

"Sam, we –"

"Sssh.." I pull her into the hallway bathroom again and close the door. I lift her up and sit her on the edge of the sink. She squeals and begins to protest. "You have to be quiet, Mercy." I push up at the hem of her skirt until she lifts her bottom off the sink. "I just need a quick taste baby." I give her my best pout. She bites her bottom lip and before she can stop me, I move the crotch of her boy shorts to the side and then slide a finger inside her. She groans softly. "Mmm. So tight baby." I slowly move my finger in and out of her and then add a second one. She presses her hands down on the sink and pitches her hips up to meet my movements as I devour her mouth, cradling her head with my other hand. Our kiss breaks as her pants get heavier. "I need my cream filling Mercy." I lock my eyes with hers. "May I?" She nods and I kneel. I remove my fingers and bury my tongue between her folds. "Mmm so good baby." I lap at her slit and rub on her clit until I feel her legs begin to shake. I bury my tongue in her again as her orgasm explodes in my mouth. "So sweet. I knew you would taste like honey. Milk and honey." I stroke her slit as I help her come down from her high. When her breathing is back to normal, I release the crotch of her boy shorts and stand. I place my hand against her crotch and rub the material of her panties between her moist folds. Once I am satisfied that I've covered the panties with her cream and her scent, I hook my thumbs under the waistband and pull them off. "Can I borrow these? I'll return them to you. I just want to bury my face in your scent for the rest of the night."

She studies me for few moments with a wicked smile on her face. "I like those so just make sure you give them back." I grin and kiss the tip of her nose as I slide her boy shorts into my pocket. "I can't believe you just did that Sam."

I lift her off the sink and lower her skirt. I pin her against the door and lick her top then bottom lip as my hands palm her ass. "Believe it baby. Hopefully I will be able to do a more thorough job next time."

* * *

An hour later, we all walk toward the front door to say our good nights. "Night Cedes. Thanks for dinner. It was the best chicken alfredo I've ever had."

"You're welcome. I gave your Dad some to take home with you. Make sure he shares it with you."

"You heard her Dad. You have to share with me."

"Yeah, we'll see."

"Sam, you better share with him."

"Ok, ok, ok. He can have a couple of scoops."

"Half."

"Half?"

"Yes, half."

"Fine."

I watch as Zack stares at us in awe. A smile plays on his lips and then he turns his full attention to Mercy. "Um, Cedes, can I give you a hug?"

"Well, of course you can." My heart stops as they embrace. I look over at Zack and see that his smile has broadened as his chin rests on her shoulder. "Oh, I almost forgot." Mercy pulls herself from their embrace, hurries to the kitchen and then returns with a sandwich bag full of cookies. "These are for you." She hands him the bag.

"Thanks, Cedes." He smiles shyly at her. I continue to watch their interaction with a goofy smile on my face. He turns and grins as he holds the bag up and shakes it in the air at me.

"You have to share with me."

"No, he doesn't." She wraps Zack back up in her embrace and my smile widens.

I pick Ally up and swing her around as we walk down the walkway to my car. Her giggles fill the air as Zack and Mercy walk behind us. Mercy has her arm draped over his shoulder and his face is beaming. I put Ally back on her feet and then hug her as I plant a kiss on the top of her head. "Good night Ms. Ally and you're welcome by the way. Everybody knows I let you win."

"Sure, you did Sam. Night." She lays her head against my chest as she hugs me with one arm before walking over to join Zack by the car, allowing me to say a private good night to my Mercy.

"Good night baby. I think it's safe to say that everyone had a good time."

"I agree. I almost cried when Zack asked if he could hug me."

"He's just as crazy about you as I am." I plant a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. "Thanks again for dinner but especially for my dessert. That was the best part of the night for me, hands down." I wink at her as she swats my chest lightly.

"Drive safe."

"I will. I'll call you later."

Once they are safely back inside the house, we wave, and I tap on the horn as we pull away from the curb. We ride in silence for a few minutes until Zack makes a request. "So, Ally has a sleepover tomorrow night and I was wondering if you thought that maybe Cedes would want to hang out with us tomorrow?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I thought maybe you should."

"Why is that?"

"Cause I don't think she will say no to you?"

"And why do you think that she would say no to you?"

"I don't know. Besides, I don't have her phone number."

"I can give it to you." I unlock my phone and pass it over to him. "Go to the contacts and look it up. It will be under Mercy."

"Mercy?"

"My nickname for her."

"That's cute Dad." He clicks on her number and then puts the call on speaker.

"Hey babe."

"Hi Cedes. This is Zack."

"Hey Zack. Did you forget something?"

"No. Actually, yeah maybe. Um, I wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out with me and Dad at our place tomorrow since Ally will be gone? Dad doesn't cook as good as you do but we can always get something delivered. If you don't want to, that's fine and I'll understand but I wanted to ask in case you were going to be by yourself tomorrow night."

"Why in the world would I ever decline an invitation to hang out with my favorite Evans man?"

"Dad, you weren't really supposed to tell her that."

"Hey, I just relayed your message."

"Anyway, OK. We will see you tomorrow after you get off work I guess."

"Sounds good. I will see you two then."

"See you then. Bye Cedes."

"Bye."


	4. Friday Night Fights

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Friday September 4th

The next morning, I am working at my desk when a knock sounds on my door. "Come in."

"Mr. Evans you have a delivery." Harriett enters carrying a vase of sunflowers and a medium sized box wrapped in yellow paper. I arch my eyebrow as I eye both the vase and her face.

"Is there a card?"

"None that I could find."

"OK, just put them there on the conference table." She sits the vase near the edge of the table and then places the box next to it. "Thanks Harriett." She nods and smiles as she exits closing the door behind her. I stand and stretch as I walk over to the table to get a closer look. The scent of the flowers invade my nostrils as I near them. I pick up the box and gently shake it hearing the muffled sound of the metal objects inside bumping against each other. I glance over at the vase as I rip open the paper from one edge of the box. Beneath the paper is a plain white box. I remove the top of the box and find a blank envelope. I slide the card out of the envelope and flip it over. As soon as I see the handwriting, I know exactly who the sender is. I replace both the card and the top of the box and go back to my desk to get back to work. I have absolutely no interest in what else is in the box.

At lunchtime, I make a call to my girl. "Hey beautiful. How's your day?"

"Quiet. I may even get out of here a little early today. How's your day babe?"

"Quiet as well. So, does this mean we will see you early tonight?"

"Depends on what you consider early. I can drop Ally off for her sleepover any time after six. Once I do that, then I will be on my way to your place. Do I need to bring anything?"

"No, just you. Zack wants me to grill some burgers for dinner tonight. I hadn't really thought about any sides so maybe you and Zack can make some when you get there tonight. Maybe baked beans and some slaw?"

"I think I can manage that."

"I know you can. What are your plans for tomorrow?"

"After I pick up Ally, we were going to go shopping for a bit. She is already hitting me up for new clothes for our trip."

"Oh boy."

"Yeah, I know. Speaking of which, how much do I owe you?"

"Owe me? Owe me for what?"

"For the trip."

"It's my treat."

"I can't let you do that."

"Mercy please let me do this. I want to treat everyone. Please let me."

"Sam."

"Please baby. Just this once."

She sighs harshly into the phone. "OK, but only if you let me buy all the food for the duration of the trip."

"OK"

"I mean it Sam. All the food, whether it is dinner out or groceries. Deal?"

"Deal. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Thank you."

"I'll see you later beautiful."

"See you later."

* * *

An hour or so later, Harriett knocks on my door again. "Yes?"

She opens the door and walks in carrying a fruit basket. "Mr. Evans, you have another delivery."

"You've got to be kidding me." I eye the basket as she moves to sit it on the conference table next to the vase. "No, please take that to the security desk downstairs and tell them to enjoy. I want you to have those flowers and enjoy them at your desk."

"Yes, sir." She picks up the vase and then faces me again. "And the box?"

"I'll take care of the box. Could you also please let Betty know not to allow anymore anonymous deliveries pass the front desk?"

"Yes sir, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you."

* * *

At the end of my day, I open my door to say bye to Harriett. She looks over at me from her desk and signals for me to give her a moment. As she ends her phone call, she hangs up the receiver and then turns her attention to me. "Sorry. That was Betty."

"Everything alright?"

"Yes, sir. She was just letting me know that there were a total of five deliveries for you that she turned away today."

I close my eyes and shake my head. "Well, I am heading out and just wanted to tell you to have a great weekend. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"Thanks Mr. Evans. I hope you have a great weekend as well and Happy Labor Day."

I smile at her and close the door. I walk over to the conference table and pick up the box. I'm done playing these games with her. I'll have to do something to cease these unwanted deliveries now. I carry the box down to my car and put it in the trunk. I close the trunk and climb into my car as I pull my phone from my jacket's inside pocket. I start the engine and then scroll through my phone for the contact name that I need to call. I press the contact's name and listen as the line rings through my car's speakers. A soft, cheery female voice answers after a couple of rings. "Bradshaw, Pine and Drury, how may I assist you today?"

"David Bradshaw please."

"May I say who is calling?"

"Sam Evans."

"Hold please Mr. Evans." The line is replaced with music as I wait for David. I'm sure he will be surprised to hear from me.

"Sam, how the heck are you?"

"Hey David. I'm well despite the reason for my call today. How's Sharon and the kids?"

"Spending my money faster than I can earn it. How's Zachary?"

"Growing. He's almost as tall as me!"

"Wow. Time flies. So, what can I do for you?"

"I've been getting some unwanted visits and deliveries at my office from you know who. Is there any way to stop it? I was very clear to her yesterday. I escorted her down to the lobby where my head of security and law enforcement informed her that she is to stay fifty feet from the entrance or she would be cited. Today, she sent seven deliveries to my office. I've had minimal contact with her since before the divorce was finalized. Now, she has either been at my office or sent deliveries for the past three days. I told her Wednesday that the only contact I would entertain between us would be when it involved Zack. Is there anything I can do about any of this?"

"Six years without a word huh? Something has triggered her. Did she say what she wanted?"

"To get back together."

"Hells bells."

"That's what I said."

"Sam, I hate to say this but aside from filing harassment charges or a restraining order against her there isn't really a whole lot that you can do. In terms of getting her to stay away from your office, you did that when she was informed to stay fifty feet away from your building. For the deliveries, that one is a little tricky. She can always send those without a card or sign them with a fake name. The restraining order would be the only way to prevent the deliveries but are you sure you want to do that?"

"No, I don't. She is still Zack's mother. I just want her to back off and leave me alone. I moved on a long time ago but apparently she didn't."

"I'll tell you what, I'll send her a letter informing her that her advances are unwanted and to cease immediately. That should give her the sense that you are serious about keeping your distance and she should back off. However, if that doesn't stop her, we will have to discuss our next steps."

"OK I guess that will have to do for now. Thanks David. Have a good weekend."

"You too Sam."

* * *

I'm in the kitchen seasoning the burgers when Zack comes in. "Hey Dad, can I invite Aaron and Jason over tonight?

"Zack attack I don't know if that is a good idea with Mercedes coming over as well. Maybe wait until we are back at the mansion to do that."

"Then when are we going to be back at the mansion?"

"Soon."

"What does that even mean? You keep telling me soon. What are you waiting for? Just call her up and tell her."

"It's not that simple son."

"Sure it is. You call her and say Cedes, I have to tell you something. I'm actually a lot richer than you think I am. I have a sixty-room mansion with a live-in staff, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a tennis court and a basketball court. What's so hard about that?"

"Zack…"

"No, Dad I don't understand. Why are you waiting to tell her?"

"It's complicated. Look, it's fine. You can invite your friends over tonight."

"Really Dad? I promise we will stay in my room for most of the night so you and your not-sure-what-to-call-her girlfriend can make out as much as you want." He chuckles as he opens the refrigerator and takes out a bottle of water.

"What do you know about making out?"

"Enough. I'm not a baby."

"I know you're not a baby." I rinse off my hands and dry them on a kitchen towel. "So, have you made out with anyone before?"

"Yes."

"What? Who, when and where?"

He cackles as he takes a seat at the breakfast bar. "Her name is Emily Preuss. She is in the band with me and went to band camp at UF. We made out twice while we were there and a few times since we have been back home."

"Why am I just hearing about this? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Yes, she is. She and Ally are pretty close too."

"Where is all of this making out taking place?"

"Different places. The park, her house, under the bleachers at school."

"Her house? Son, are you having sex with Emily?"

"No, Dad."

"Have you had sex with anyone?"

"No."

"Do you want to have sex?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I hear the guys talking about it in the locker room but I don't know that I like her enough to do some of the stuff I've heard about."

"I need you to be 100% honest with me about this. If you ever feel like you are ready to have sex with her or anyone else, you talk to me first. Sex is not something you should venture into until both you and your partner are completely ready for it. You will need to protect yourself and her."

"I know. We had sex education at school last year. I know to wear a condom to prevent disease and to not get her pregnant."

"Condoms do not always prevent pregnancy. Just promise you will talk to me before you take that step, OK?"

"Sure, Dad. I promise."

"Alright, go call your buddies and invite them. I'm going to make a quick run to the market to get some baked beans and slaw to go with the burgers."

"OK."

* * *

Once I am back from the market, I glance up at the clock on my car's dashboard to see that it is nearing 5:30. I take out my phone to call her. I can't put it off anymore. She answers on the third ring. "Hey babe."

"Hey beautiful."

"I was just about to text you to let you know that I was on my way. Spencer is going to drop Ally off at her sleepover."

"Well then, I'm glad I caught you. Something's come up and we are going to have to reschedule our burger night."

"Oh, OK. That's fine. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. I'm kind of sad that I won't get to see you tonight though."

"Well, maybe I will see you this weekend."

"So, what will you do now that you aren't coming over here?"

"I don't know. My friend Justine invited me out for drinks earlier, but I told her I already had plans. I guess I can see if she is still going out and maybe join her. But I don't really feel like doing too much so I may just stay in and watch a movie or something."

"Don't stay in baby. Go out and have some fun."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"So, if you do go out what are you going to wear?"

She giggles softly and then sighs. "I'm not sure. I'll have to change though. I was just wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to your place."

"Well, I hope you do decide to go out and that you have a good time. Call or text me when you get back home."

"I will. Enjoy your evening."

"You too beautiful." I hang up the phone and try to ease the knots in my stomach. I hated doing that more than anything. I didn't lie to her, but I wasn't honest with her about why she couldn't come over tonight. I'm sure that Zack is going to be upset with me as well. I don't think he picked up on the fact that Mercy wouldn't be coming over since his friends are. I lock my phone, climb out of the car and make my way back into the apartment.

Opening the door, I notice Zack sitting on the couch watching a music video. "Hey buddy. Your friends on the way?"

"Yeah, Aaron's mom is dropping them both off here in about ten minutes. I'm going to go downstairs in about five to wait for them."

"OK. I'm going to go start on the burgers."

"Cool."

Out on the patio, so many thoughts run through my mind. I have to deal with all of the craziness that my ex is doing. Zack has a girlfriend who he is making out with and who he may want to have sex with which is completely blowing my mind. He is also getting fed up of staying here at the apartment. Even with all that on my mind, the one thought that is eating away at me is Mercy. I hated telling her not to come over tonight, but I cannot risk Zack's friends mentioning the estate. I know I'm not being fair to Zack and I see how mad it is making him to keep up with this ruse. Truth is, the main reason I have delayed telling Mercy is because I am worried that she won't understand why I did it. I'm afraid I'll lose her and that thought shakes me to my core. By prolonging it, I get to have her for another day. But I know we can't do this anymore and I've already made plans to sit down with her and tell her everything. I just pray that she will hear me out and forgive me for being dishonest with her in the first place.

I hear the patio door open and turn to see Zack leaning out toward me. "Burgers almost done?"

"Almost, maybe another couple of minutes."

"Is Cedes on her way?"

"No, she's not coming."

"Why not?"

"Zack, we talked about this. Your friends are over tonight. We can have Mercedes come over another night."

I feel his stare. "So, is this how it's going to be now? Anytime Cedes or Ally are over, no one else can be?"

"Can we talk about this later?"

"What did you tell her? You lied to her again, didn't you?"

I stare at him incredulously. "Zachary, I understand that you are upset son, but you will not speak to me in that tone. Now, like I said, Mercedes won't be coming over tonight, but we can invite her and Ally over another night."

"Fine." He closes the patio door and goes back into the apartment.

* * *

We sit at the kitchen table and eat in silence. Aaron and Jason alternate their looks between me and Zack. Once the boys finish their food, they all go into Zack's room leaving me alone at the table. I cannot remember a time when Zack has ever been this upset with me. I know we need to talk however I also know that it is best to wait until after his friends are gone. I grab a beer from the fridge and head to my bedroom.

Around 8:30, Zack knocks on my bedroom door and enters. "Can I sleep over at Aaron's tonight?"

"I think we need to talk, don't you?"

"Not really."

"Well, I do."

"Can't we talk when I come back on Sunday?"

"I would prefer that we clear the air now."

"So, I can't sleep over at Aaron's?"

"I didn't say that Zack." I exhale loudly. "What about your mother? You're supposed to go to her house tomorrow."

"I can have her pick me up at Aaron's."

"Fine Zack. Have a good time." He turns and walks out of my room. I throw myself back onto the bed and stare up at the ceiling. What a Friday night! My girl is out for the evening and my son is going to sleep over at a friend's house. Maybe Mercy will get home soon and we will be able to spend the night together. I think about giving her a quick call to let her know that I am free but then realize that wouldn't be fair to her. I'll just have to wait and see what time she gets home. There's another knock on my door and Zack enters again.

"Aaron's mom is here so we are leaving. I'll see you Sunday."

I stand up and look at him. "OK." I follow him out of my room and then follow them out the door. I stand in the doorway as they walk toward her car. "Night son."

"Night dad." I wave at Aaron's mom as they pull out of the parking lot and then turn to go back inside the apartment. Once I'm inside, I grab another beer, lay on the couch and unlock my phone. I click on the icon to open my photos and scroll through all of the photos I have of my girl. I study her smile and the way her eyes seem to brighten. Will she still smile at me like that once I tell her my secret? Will I even have the opportunity to hold her the way I am in this picture? I know Zack is right, it is time for me to tell her and I plan to, I just have to follow through this time. I've readied myself to tell her a total of four times and chickened out every single time. I don't know why I am so afraid. The woman I know is the most caring and understanding person I have ever met in my life. Surely she will understand why I did it. But will she understand why it took me so long to come clean? Will she be offended that it took me three months to tell her? Oh god, I hope not. I get up from the couch and pour myself a scotch. I groan softly at the burn as the liquid slides down my throat. I pour another and take it back to the couch with me.

After finishing with the photos, I get another beer, turn on some music and clean the kitchen. I glance over at the clock. It's 10:00. As I wipe down the counter, I realize that it wouldn't be a good idea to have Mercy come over tonight. It would likely lead to questions about what came up earlier, so I resolve to just spend the evening alone. I rinse our plates and then load them into the dishwasher. I replace the lids on the two containers with the baked beans and slaw in them and place them in the refrigerator.

Having cleaned both the kitchen and living room, I decide to turn in for the night. I take a quick shower, finish off the bottle of scotch, get one more beer and then climb into bed. I pick up the remote and turn on the television. I click through the stations and stop when I see that _Iron Man_ is on. I haven't watched this one in a while. I place the remote on the nightstand and lean back against the headboard. Halfway through the movie and with my eyelids half open, a chime sounds from my phone. I reach over to pick it up off the bed and have to steady myself before falling over the edge and onto the floor.

_**Just letting you know I'm home.**_

_**Good, did you have fun**_

_**Yeah, maybe a little too much**_

_**You're allowed that from time to time you know. Hope you weren't driving though**_

_**I wasn't **_

_**Good. I missed you baby**_

_**I missed you too**_

_**Can I tag along with you and Ally tomorrow**_

_**Of course you can**_

_**What time are you going**_

_**Around 2**_

_**OK I'll come over around 1:30**_

_**Sounds good**_

_**So what did you wear tonight**_

_**Red leather skirt and a white blouse**_

_**Shoes**_

_**Black heels**_

_**Mmmmmm you in that skirt should be illegal**_

_**Lol**_

_**Were my marks hidden**_

_**Yes**_

_**Dammit. Anybody hit on you**_

_**Now why would I tell you that**_

_**Because I asked**_

_**Well I'm not answering**_

_**That means yes**_

_**No it means I'm not answering**_

_**Where did you go**_

_**Rexy's**_

_**Yeah, you got hit on probably all night**_

_**If you say so**_

_**I know so and you liked it too didn't you**_

_**Liked what**_

_**Getting hit on**_

_**What's happening**_

_**What do you mean**_

_**It feels like you are trying to pick a fight**_

_**No I'm not just want you to answer my question**_

_**Why do you want to know**_

_**Because I do, why won't you answer me what are you hiding from me**_

_**Ok, I'm going to say good night babe. I'll see you tomorrow**_

_**So, you're not going to answer me**_

_**...**_

_**...**_

_**Mercy?**_

_**...**_

_**...**_

Twenty minutes later there is still no response from her. I turn off the television and then roll over onto my side. I glance over at the clock on the nightstand to see that it is after midnight. She is definitely already asleep. I know she got hit on from the time she stepped in that bar until the time she left with her friends. Why won't she just tell me? She could have just said yes and that would have been the end of it. What is she hiding from me? I punch my pillow a couple of times and then roll over onto my stomach to try to will myself to go to sleep. I'm going to lose her. I can feel it. She met someone at the bar tonight and he is probably at her house right now. That's why she wouldn't answer me. I should have come clean to her long time ago. Then she wouldn't be out meeting other men and taking them home. I bet she didn't even go out with any of her girlfriends. She went out with some guy wearing that tight red leather skirt. She was probably happy when I told her that something came up and that we would have to reschedule. I should drive over there and surprise them. Yeah that's what I'm going to do. As soon as the room stops spinning.

* * *

I get out of my car and walk up the walkway holding a carton of her favorite ice cream as a peace offering. As I near the door, I hear faint music playing inside the house. I move to the small window on the right side of the door and look in to see rose petals scattered all over the floor. What the hell? I raise my hand to knock on the door but movement from inside stops me. I look up and see her walking down the steps. She has on a short black satin robe that is loosely tied around her waist. The robe is open enough for me to see the lacy red bra and boy shorts she is wearing. I smile as I scan her body from head to toe. She reaches the step landing and then turns to her left and enters the living room. I hear her giggles and then I hear the word 'Mimi' said by a deep voice. Soon her giggles morph into low moans. I don't believe this. I begin pounding on the door with my fist. I want her to see me standing here. I want her to know that I know that she is with another man. I continue pounding until I hear her unlocking the door. The smile on her face disappears when she sees me. "Sam, what are you doing here?" I just stare at her with an open mouth and watery eyes. I can't speak. She shifts uncomfortably before me and turns her eyes from mine. "It's really not a good time." She looks up at me and then quickly averts her eyes away from me. She straightens her robe and nervously tucks her hair behind her ears. "I'll call you tomorrow." She steps back to close the door and my hand slams against it. "Sam, you have to go now." Just as I feel the words ready to leave my mouth, a tall, muscular blond appears. He has a towel wrapped low around his waist. "Everything OK, Mimi baby?" He stands behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. He glances up at me with a smirk as he moves the hair on her shoulder aside and attaches his lips to her neck. My eyes burn into him as his tongue trails from her neck to that spot behind her ear that drives her wild. "Nick baby, everything is fine." She angles her head to the side as her eyes slowly close and a soft moan escapes her. I follow his hands as they begin to travel up and down her body. He continues to smirk at me as he watches my reaction to the way he is touching her. He then places his mouth next to her ear. "Baby I need to taste you. Say good night to your friend and come with me." He grabs her hand and begins pulling her back toward the living room while she giggles. "Good night Sam, I'll text you in the morning." The door slams in my face and I drop the ice cream just as my phone begins to ring. I stand there dumbfounded. What the fuck! How could she do this? My mind races. I ready my fist to pound on the door, but my phone is annoying the hell out of me.

I snatch the phone out of my pocket. "What!" The chime continues next to my ear. I move the phone and look down at it. The screen is blank, but the incessant chiming continues. I try to unlock the phone, but I can't. I click the home button. I click and hold the power button. Nothing works. The battery must be dead but if it is why is it still chiming and why is it so fucking loud?!


	5. Uncomforting Winks

**A couple of new characters in this chapter. **

**I do not own Glee or its characters**

* * *

Saturday September 5th

I dart up in bed and yell out her name before I groan out in pain. My mouth tastes horrible and my head is pounding. I glance around the room and then look down at myself. I have on a jacket, my briefs and one sneaker. No shirt, no pants and no socks. I move to stand but my head has other plans. I fall back on the pillow and close my eyes. What the fuck was that!? It was a dream, wasn't it? What the hell is up with my clothes? How much did I drink last night? I know it was a dream, too out there to be anything else. I suddenly realize the chiming from my phone, so I lean over and pick it up from the nightstand, turn off the alarm and then fall back on the pillow. I unlock the phone and start to read over our text exchange from last night. I cringe and groan at some of my responses to her. I'm glad she ended our conversation before my interrogation went too far. Just as I am about to lock the phone again, a text arrives.

_**Good morning babe**_

_**Morning beautiful**_

_**How are you**_

_**Hungover. I guess I had a little too much to drink last night too**_

_**Are you OK**_

_**Yes just sorry for the way I acted last night**_

The phone rings and I answer it on the first ring. "Hi baby." I pull my jacket off and kick the single shoe towards the closet.

"Babe, it's alright. I should have just answered you, but I didn't see the use in having you get worked up about me getting hit on at the bar."

"I know. I already knew the answer to the question. I was being an ass and I apologize baby. Please forgive me."

"I forgive you."

"I'm glad you just ended the conversation."

"Yeah, I could tell where it was headed and didn't want to go there. Why did you get so worked up about it?"

"I don't know. I'm sure the alcohol played a huge part in it and I also hate the idea of any man approaching you in that way. I want everyone to know you are taken."

"Trust me anyone who needs to know that I am taken knows."

"How?"

"I tell them silly."

"Alright, I'm going to drop it. So, are we still on for the mall?"

"Yes sir. I'm going to head out in a few minutes to pick up Ally and then we are meeting Spencer and Alistair for brunch. Have you eaten?"

"No, I haven't."

"You and Zack want to join us?"

"It will just be me and I'd love to."

"Why no Zack?"

"He slept over at a friend's last night."

"Sam, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were already out with your girlfriends."

"But babe, I would have much rather spent the night with you."

"Me too but I didn't want to pull you away from them."

"Babe, I've never, ever been into the bar scene so me going to one with them last night was just something to do. I didn't want to stay in alone and if I had of known you were on your own, I would have been there with you."

"I'm kicking myself for not calling you."

"You should. Just call me next time. Any time there is an opportunity for us to spend time alone together, especially a night, I want to. If I have plans and can break them, I will."

"Same goes for me."

"OK, babe. I'm going to head out now. We are meeting at Baileys on Freemont Avenue at 10:30. I'll see you there."

"See you there beautiful." I end the call and then head toward the bathroom to shower.

* * *

I arrive at Baileys about five minutes early. I go inside and take a seat in the waiting area as I take out my phone to text Zack.

_**Morning son**_

_**Morning dad**_

_**Is your mother picking you up from Aaron's**_

_**Yes**_

_**OK. I hope you have a good visit. Text or call me if you need anything**_

_**I will dad. Thanks and I'm sorry for being such a brat yesterday**_

_**It's OK and I'm sorry too. We will talk about it when you get back**_

_**OK**_

"Sam?" I look up and see Spencer walking toward me. I extend my hand and shake his. "It's good to see you again." He winks and me and I stiffen a bit. Why would he wink at me?

I clear my throat and shake off the weird feeling that just washed over me. "Um, it's good to see you again too. Thanks for letting me crash your brunch."

"Ah, don't mention it. The more, the merrier." We release hands and he gestures with his head for me to follow. "We're already seated, still waiting on the girls of course."

"Oh, of course." We near the table and Alistair stands to greet me. "Hey Alistair. How are you?" We shake hands before taking our seats.

"I'm good, Sam. How you been?" The way he is looking at me makes me a little uncomfortable. A knowing smirk with somewhat squinty eyes. I quickly shake my head. I'm tripping, right?

I clear my throat again. "Doing well, thanks." The waiter approaches and takes our drink order. As he leaves, my phone begins to ring. I pull it out of my pocket and see that it is my girl. "Hey you."

"Hey there. Where are you?"

"I'm here with Spencer and Alistair just waiting on our beautiful yet nearly tardy dates to join us."

She giggles. "OK, we just parked. Be there in a sec."

"OK."

"Where are they?"

"They just parked."

"OK, I'll go get them." Spencer grins at me, stands and leaves the table.

I look over at Alistair and see him still smirking at me. And then he winks at me too. Ok, what is happening? I'm sure I have a confused expression on my face. I swallow the lump that has subsequently formed in my throat just as he speaks. "I am happy for you and Cedes. You seem like a good match."

I exhale softly and nod my head. "Believe me Alistair, I met my match the day I met – " My words are interrupted when Ally throws her arms around his neck.

"Pop A! You've been gone too long. What did you bring me?" The two of them fall into an animated conversation about Alistair's trip to Los Angeles and all the souvenirs he bought her. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn my head to meet the dark brown eyes of my girl.

"Hi beautiful."

"Hey there." I stand and give her a quick hug as I kiss the side of her head. I pull out the chair next to me for her to sit. The waiter returns with our drinks and then takes their drink order. I try to inconspicuously pull her chair closer to mine but get caught by Spencer who just laughs and shakes his head at me. I smile shyly and look up to meet Ally's eyes.

"Sam! Oh my goodness. I didn't even see you there." She jumps up, runs around the table and throws her arms around my neck. "Where's Zack?"

"He spent the night with his friend Aaron last night."

"Lucky." She said it so softly I don't think anybody heard but I sure did. Oh boy, first Zack, now her. She smiles at me when she realizes that I heard her and quickly changes the subject. "I heard you're going to the mall with us. Think you can keep up?"

"I think I can." I chuckle as she walks back to her seat. The waiter returns with their drinks and then begins taking our orders. After I've given him mine, I lean over and whisper in Mercy's ear. "Did you hear what Ally said when I told her that Zack spent the night at Aaron's last night?"

She leans over and whispers in my ear. "I did and oh my god. I can't even think about it."

I lean back over to her ear. "You better. I had the similar talk with Zack yesterday. Seems he has a girlfriend."

"What are you two whispering about over there?" I look up to see Alistair eyeing us. His eyes seem to linger on me and then I quickly look over at Spencer and his are on me too. Ok, really, what is happening?

Mercy's voice breaks me from my momentary freak-out. "Oh, just how much we adore you Alistair. I was telling Sam to get in line. Once you get tired of Spence here, I'm next." She pats Spencer playfully on the back as he shakes his head at her.

"Flattery will get you anything you want from me girl and you know it!" He puckers his lip and kisses the air in her direction. We all laugh at his words. I'm just not going to look at either one of them again if I can help it.

"So, guys what are you two doing for the holiday? Having a shindig at your place?" Mercy takes a sip from her water glass and looks over at Spencer.

"We haven't planned anything. What are you two doing?" Spencer's eyes move between both me and her as he waits for us to answer. I move mine to her as soon as his land on me.

"We haven't planned anything either." Mercy looks over at me for confirmation and I shake my head at her. "We could grill out at the house and you guys could come over and join us."

"The thought of not having to clean up afterwards does sound appealing to me. What do you think babe?" Alistair looks over at Spencer.

"Sounds good." Spencer nods as he takes a drink from his glass and then looks over at Mercy. "What can we bring?"

"Pop A you have to make your taco dip. Pleeeeeeease? Daddy loves it too!" Ally grips her hands together and puts the cutest smiley pout on her face that I have ever seen.

"You got it princess." Ally claps and then smiles. "And we can also bring a few sides. How about potato salad, pasta salad and baked beans?"

"That would be great." Mercy smiles over at me. "You OK to man the grill."

I playfully pound on my chest. "Me Sam. Me grill meat."

They all laugh at my antics and I smile in return. "Crazy man. Anyway, burgers, sausages and chicken?" We all nod. "Cool. I'll have tea, lemonade and of course water to drink so if you want something different, you'll have to bring it."

"So, it's just going to be us?"

"Yes, and I'm assuming Zack." I give her a nod in confirmation. "Did you want to invite anyone else Alistair?"

"I have three friends from college who are in town for a conference. Would it be OK if I invite them to come as well?"

"Of course. As Spence always says the more, the merrier." Spencer raises his glass in the air in a mock salute.

* * *

Shopping proved to be quite the adventure. Ally took us in just about every store within the mall before we finally ended up at a pizza parlor for dinner. When that was over, we headed back to Mercy's house and are now watching _Pitch Perfect_. Ally is laid across the loveseat and Mercy and I are seated together on the couch. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

Mercy glances over at Ally. "I hadn't thought about it. Is there something you want to do?"

"I would like for us all to do something together, you, me, Sam and Zack. He is coming back tomorrow isn't he Sam?"

"Yes, he is. I usually pick him up from his mother's around one."

"Hold on Ally. Sam and Zack may already have plans tomorrow."

"We do." I look sorrowfully over at Ally. "We are spending the day with our favorite girls." A smile slowly spreads across Ally's face and Mercy playfully punches my arm. "But seriously, we don't have anything already planned. I can't speak for Zack, but I would never turn down the opportunity to do something with the two of you. So, think about it and come up with something."

"How about bowling?"

"Maybe, we'll see. What do you think Sam? Do you think Zack would want to go bowling with us tomorrow?"

"I can ask him and see. What time were you thinking?

"Two or so."

"Let me check with him." I pick up my phone and send him a text.

_**Bowling tomorrow with Mercy and Ally?**_

_**Sure that sounds like fun**_

"He says yes."

"Great."

With the movie over, Ally has excused herself and has gone to bed for the night. Mercy and I are cuddled on her couch talking softly about our day. The television volume is turned down low and the lights are dim. "Babe, we should all go out for dinner tomorrow after bowling."

"Like I'm going to disagree with spending more time with you. Anyplace in particular you have in mind?"

"We haven't had sushi in a while and Ally loves it. What about Zack?"

"Well, unfortunately Zack isn't a fan of sushi. So, we will have to do that one night when it's just you, me and Ally."

"OK. Well we can decide where tomorrow." A chime sounds from her phone. She picks it up from the table, reads it and then smiles.

"Who's got you smiling like that? Should I be worried?"

"No silly man. It's Spencer. Alistair must be having a problem with his ex." She hands the phone over to me so I can read the message.

_**Have I told you lately that you are the best ex in the business? **_

I just nod and hand the phone back to her. Not sure how to even question it and hoping that she will explain, which she does as she types a response.

"Every time Alistair gets into it with his ex, he sends me something like that. It's just to let me know that he appreciates me and is grateful that we get along so well."

"I'm quite envious of that too. One of these days, I'll have to get some pointers from you."

"Why is that? Having problems with your ex?" She pauses for a moment and then continues. "I mean you never talk about her, so I just assumed everything was fine."

"Can we talk about something else? Anything else, please?"

She gives me a confused expression. "Alrighty then." She clears her throat and then smiles. "Well for what it's worth, I am happy that you seem to get along with Spencer."

"Yeah, me too. But you know, while we were at brunch today, I was a little uncomfortable. Both he and Alistair seem to be staring and smiling at me a lot. And they both winked at me today too."

"Well, you are nice to look at." She winks at me and then laughs.

"Mercy, I'm serious. Do you think they think I am interested in them, like they want me to join them in some kind of threesome or something? Or do they maybe have an open relationship?" I lean forward, rest my elbows on my knees and put my head in my hands. "I know I may be acting a bit dramatic but it really made me uncomfortable."

She leans forward immediately and rubs my back. "Sam, baby, I have no idea. They were probably just being friendly. That's how they both are. Just calm down. I'm sure it wasn't meant to make you uncomfortable, babe." She rubs my back for a few more seconds and then trails her fingers repeatedly through my hair. "Do you want me to say something to Spencer?"

I pause to think and then shake my head as I exhale. "No, maybe I am just overreacting. But just to be on the safe side, you make sure you stay glued to me whenever they are around." I lean back and grin weakly at her.

She leans back as well and locks eyes with me. She studies me for a few seconds and then nods. "I think I can handle that." She taps me on my nose with her index finger, leans over and places a soft kiss on my lips. She smiles as she begins to retreat.

I stop her before she can get too far and bring her lips back to mine. "Good, now how about we make the most of the rest of our alone time." I give her a few lingering pecks.

She quickly moves to straddle my lap causing my cock to instantly harden. "And how do you suppose we could do that?"

"Definitely more of this." I palm her ass with one hand and grind up against her center. She moans softly. "Ssssh, you have to be quiet baby or you will wake Ally." I use my other hand to bring her mouth to mine. She begins to slowly grind her center against me and I feel my cock begin to seep pre-cum. As she continues to grind her hips, I lower my hand and squeeze her left breast. With my body on the brink of explosion, I release her mouth and she attaches her lips to my neck. "Shit baby. You're going to make me cum in my pants."

She ceases her assault and brings her mouth to my ear. "Do you want me to stop?" She gently nips at my earlobe and it pushes me over the edge.

"Mmmm…" I grab her head with both hands and tighten my hold on her as my breathing calms. "Shit. You just made me cum in my pants." I chuckle as she giggles at my admission. "It's been many, many years since I've done that."

"Do you want to use the bathroom to get cleaned up?"

"Nope." I flip her onto the couch and hover over her. "I'll take care of it when I get home. Right now, I feel like I need to return the favor." I bring my hand up and massage her breast with my left hand. I attach my mouth to her neck and gently suck on the area of my previous markings. She wraps her legs around my waist as I grind my cock against her center. Her arms rest low around my back. She moans and I raise my head to press my mouth against hers. "Quiet baby. Ssssh." I place soft pecks on her lips as our eyes lock. I lower my forehead onto hers and stare deep into her eyes as my grinding becomes small thrusts. "You are so beautiful baby." I lightly kiss her lips. "I need to be inside you." I kiss her lips again keeping my eyes locked on hers as I do. Her eyes are heavy and full of lust. I caress her face with my free hand as her body writhes beneath me. "Cum for me baby." She begins to moan again and I quieten her by covering her mouth with mine. Her arms tighten around me and her body stills. I release her mouth and bury my face in the crook of her neck. I feel her heavy breathing against my shoulder and wait until it ceases. I bring my mouth to hers again and plant several long lingering kisses on her soft lips. She trails her hands up and down my back as she slowly unwraps her legs from around my waist. "Mmmm, I'd love to lick you clean right now baby."

"Next time." She nibbles on my bottom lip. "I wish you could stay the night with me."

"I wish that too." I lift my body off hers, pull her up to a seated position and then wrap my arms around her. "But soon we will have a night to ourselves." She nods her head against my chest as we cuddle.

* * *

About thirty minutes later, she leans forward and grabs her phone off the coffee table. "It's getting late babe. When are you going to leave me?"

"You need to rephrase that immediately."

She giggles, turns her head to look at me and then smiles. "What time are you going to head home?"

"Better. I don't know. Are you getting tired?"

"Yeah, a little. I didn't sleep well last night you know."

"Don't remind me." I stand and pull her up with me. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close to me. "Come on, walk me out and then you can get to bed." I kiss her forehead and then lead her to the front door. "I'll see you tomorrow beautiful." I softly press my lips against hers.

"See you tomorrow baby. Drive safe."

"I will. Night."

"Night."

She stands in the open door while I walk to my car. When I reach it, I turn and wave and she waves back. As I drive home, I replay our make out session in my head. I came very close to saying those three little words to her. The only reason I didn't say it is because I want to tell her the truth about me first. I want her to love the real me not the man that I have pretended to be for the last three months. I have to make her understand why I've kept the secret for so long. When I arrive at my apartment, I continue to try to think of all the ways she could react when she finds out. She could be angry. She could be disappointed. She could understand. Or she could simply not care. I know I deserve all of these reactions and more, but more than anything I just want her to forgive me for doing it.

* * *

As I am taking the keys out of the ignition, I lose my grip on them and hear as they land on the floor mat at my feet. During my hand's search for them, I feel a small piece of paper. Picking it up, I examine it and see that it is a receipt of some kind. I absent-mindedly wad the paper up in my hand and slip it into my pocket, then resume the search for my keys. Once I locate them, I pick them up and exit the car.

Inside my apartment, I empty my pockets and lay the contents on my dresser. I then strip out of my clothes to take a shower. My eye catches the small wadded up ball of paper. I open the paper and look down at it. The item is listed as 'BJ CC FRZ DSSRT' with a price of $4.99. Ice cream. I walk into the bathroom and step in the shower as I try to recall the last time I had ice cream. It was on Zack's birthday last month. We had vanilla ice cream with his cake. Small scoops for me and Mercy but lots of it for Zack and Ally. I'm not a fan of the frozen dessert and Mercy only likes one kind: Ben & Jerry's cherry – wait a minute. I jump out of the shower and rush over to my dresser, leaving a messy trail of water behind me. Picking up the paper again, I can now see that the receipt is for Ben & Jerry's cherry cordial ice cream purchased last night at 12:43AM. This cannot be right. I didn't go out last night, did I? I was too drunk. I glance down at the name of the store on the receipt. O'Hares food mart. That's right around the corner from her house. My heartbeat begins to race, as images from my dream rush to the forefront of my mind. Last night really happened? She was really there with a Nick? It can't be. I replay our day together in my head. There was no indication from her that something that substantial had happened last night. We had an awesome day together. I glance over at the clock. It's too late to call her, she was tired when I left, so I know she is already sleeping now. But first thing in the morning, I'm going to find out what's going on.


	6. Rainy Dayz

**Thanks for all of the reviews, follows and favorites. I appreciate you taking the time to read and especially your thoughts on my story. I am so happy you are enjoying this.**

**I saw a request for some face claims for Zack and Ally. Believe it or not, those were hard for me but I did finally choose the ones I see when I write about them. I realize the ones I have chosen are not teenagers now but you'll have to think back to when they were LOL**

**Ally – Jordin Sparks**

**Zack – Zachary Taylor Thomas**

**Also, in addition to the ones tagged to the story, there is only one other Glee character used in this story, and yes that person is Sam's ex-wife. Her identity will be revealed in chapter 8 but I'm loving the guesses.**

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Sunday September 6th

Having endured a completely sleepless night, I climb out of bed around eight. I start the coffee maker and then send her a text.

_**Morning beautiful, you up?**_

After waiting a couple of minutes and receiving no response, I conclude that she is still sleeping. I fill my mug and then take a seat at the breakfast bar. Even though I'm just getting out of bed, my mind is racing like I've been up for hours. Did Friday night really happen or are my dreams playing a trick on me? I stand and walk over to the refrigerator to find something for breakfast. With not much to choose from I decide on frozen waffles. My phone chimes just as I open the freezer. I close it, walk over to the bar and pick it up to see a text from her.

_**Morning babe, I was in the shower**_

I take couple of deep breaths and then click the icon to call her. "Hey baby. How are you this morning?"

"Hey you. I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm good too. Was just about to make some breakfast for me and Ally. Have you eaten?"

"No, I was just about to heat up a couple of frozen waffles."

"That doesn't sound appetizing at all. I can make breakfast for three if you want to join us."

"Well, that depends. What are you making?"

"French toast, bacon and eggs."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

She giggles. "OK, I'll see you when you get here. Drive safe."

"I will. See you in a bit."

I end the call and then stare at the phone. Since she invited me, I think it is best to ask her about Friday night in person. I can read her body language and face for clues on whether she is being straight with me. She's never lied to me before, well, at least that I know of, so I'm hoping that sentiment will remain the case when I broach the subject. I turn off the coffee machine and go into my bedroom to get dressed.

* * *

On my way to her house, she calls me. "Hey babe, are you on your way?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Can you do me a favor and stop at O'Hares? I didn't realize I was low on eggs. Can you get a dozen, please?"

"Of course. Anything else?"

"No, just the eggs and you and I'll be all set."

"Ok, see you in few minutes."

"See you then."

* * *

I slide my sunglasses to rest on top of my head as I step into the market. I smile at the greeter and then make my way to the dairy section. After I select a carton of eggs, I turn to go to the cashier to pay. I notice a store clerk smirking at me, and I look back at him confused. "Do I know you?"

"You were in here Friday night. The funniest shit I've seen in a long time." He laughs and shakes his head. "Good to see you made it home in one piece."

I chuckle nervously as I near him and lower my voice. "So, I was in here Friday? What did I do that was so funny?"

"Aside from what you had on, you were singing at the top of your lungs and running through the store while the manager chased you."

"You're kidding, right?" I look at him completely mortified as he continues shaking his head and laughing.

"Nope, the manager fell like three different times. We all had a good laugh. We just thought you were some homeless guy who had had a bit too much to drink but when you went to get into your car, we knew you were far from homeless."

"Oh my god. I'm so embarrassed. I'm so sorry. I'll pay for any damages or cleanup."

"Nah, it's all good." His laughs finally calm down to a soft chuckle. "At least tell me you enjoyed your ice cream."

"So, I bought ice cream?"

"Yep, Ben & Jerry's cherry cordial. Said it was for your lady."

"Um, look I've got to go. I'm sorry again for my behavior Friday night. Have a good day." I turn quickly and go to the cashier to pay for the eggs. This is all too much. She's cheating on me. I cannot believe she is cheating on me. I feel a pang in my heart as the cashier hands me my change. I take it and then hurry out of the market. How could she do this to me? To us? All the signs are pointing to me being at her place, but I don't want to believe it.

* * *

I park at the curb in front of her house and turn off the engine. I don't know what I am supposed to do. I cannot be with a cheater. She can't find time to have sex with me, but she can with Nick? I close my eyes and try recall all of the events of Friday night. I brought ice cream to her and when she slammed the door, I dropped it. If she didn't immediately pick it up, it may have melted and there may be remnants in the artificial grass on the porch right in front of the door. I exhale forcefully and climb out of the car. As I near the front door, I look down for any signs of melted ice cream but see none. I guess that's a good sign, but I cannot go on that alone. There are just too many things that aren't adding up. I knock on the door and wait for her to answer.

She opens the door and smiles brightly at me. "Hey babe."

"Hey." I step into the house and wait by the door as she closes it and looks up at me. She moves toward me for a hug. I put one arm loosely around her back. "Here's the eggs." I pull away from her and hold up the bag.

"Um, thanks." She takes the bag out of my hand and studies me for a moment. "Everything OK?"

"Actually, no. I need to talk to you." I stuff both of my hands in my pockets. "Where's Ally?"

"In the shower. Sam what's wrong? You're scaring me."

"Ok, I don't know how to say or ask this so I'm just going to do it. I convinced myself that Friday night was a dream. OK, so after our little tiff over text on Friday and because I had had so much to drink, I thought that you were here with someone else. I told myself that you stopped texting with me because you had company. I remember telling myself to come over here and catch you in the act, and I remember saying to myself that that was what I was going to do. But at that point, everything gets fuzzy. See, I think that I drove over here Friday night and caught you almost naked with some blond guy named Nick, but I'm not sure. It looked like you two were about to have sex. What I do know for certain is that I went to O'Hares Friday night at 12:43 and bought your favorite ice cream. I found the receipt on the floor in my car last night. Now when I went to get eggs for you, one of the clerks recognized me from that night. He said something was funny about the way I was dressed and when I woke up yesterday morning, I was dressed in a jacket, my briefs and one shoe. I convinced myself it was all a dream but after everything that I have come across, it's not looking like it was. I've tried to make sense of this all night. And then to have the clerk at O'Hare's confirm that I was there and buying ice cream for you, I can only come to one conclusion." I cross my arms over my chest and glare down at her. "You are cheating on me."

"What?" There is nothing but shock on her face.

"You're cheating on me!"

She stares at me for a moment and then lets out a dry chuckle and shakes her head. "OK, so let me make sure I understand this. You have memory of coming over Friday night and me being here with someone named Nick about to have sex? You have a receipt that shows that you bought ice cream from O'Hares around the corner Friday night. And with the receipt and the clerk recognizing you from that night today you've come to the conclusion that I am cheating on you. Do I have it all straight?" I hold my posture and nod once at her to confirm her statement. She closes her eyes and shakes her head. Taking the bag with her, she turns and walks back over to the front door. Not looking at me, she opens it and leans against it. "You need to leave." Her words come out in an angry whisper. "Now." I don't move. I just look over at her, but she doesn't look at me. "Get out now."

I stand my ground. "Are you going to respond? You aren't even going to deny it?"

Her head turns toward me, and her eyes burn into me. "Get the fuck out of my house right now. That's the last time I'm going to say it. My next action will be a call to the police." She turns her head away from me and stares out into the yard. We are both locked in place. After a few moments, her hand moves to her back pocket and she pulls out her phone. I watch as she unlocks it and dials 911. Before she can hit the call button, I uncross my arms and walk out the door. I walk down the porch steps and wait to hear the inevitable slam of the door, but it doesn't come. Instead, she screams something at me and then I feel something hit me in the back of the head. Reflexively, my hand goes up and rubs it as I look down at the bag with the egg carton inside. Then the door slams.

* * *

As I drive back to the apartment, my anger gets the best of me. While waiting at stoplights, I punch the steering wheel repeatedly. How could I have been so wrong about her? She's just like my ex-wife and I refuse to deal with a cheater again. I reach the apartment with bruised and throbbing knuckles on my right hand. I'm done with dating. No one knows what monogamy means anymore. I drop onto the couch and through clenched teeth let out a guttural scream. I throw my head back against the couch and kick over the coffee table in frustration. Not even remembering the pain already there, I sit up and punch the arm of the couch. I immediately hiss at the contact. Fuck! After a few minutes, I stand and walk into the kitchen. I turn on the faucet and run cold water over my bruised hand. I still cannot believe it. And the way she avoided answering me. How could she do this to us? I guess it's good that I found out now. I shake my head as I turn off the faucet and grab a towel. I already know that Zack isn't going to take this well. After drying my hand, I unfold the towel and lay it on the island. I need to ice my hand to reduce the swelling. Still fuming, I walk over to the freezer and snatch it open. My heart instantly stops as I inhale sharply. I stand there motionless as I blink rapidly. Then I slowly realize the fucking mess I just made and I immediately start to panic. I close my eyes and shake my head. I curse and scream, but nothing I am doing at the moment, will change the fact that there, staring back at me, is a carton of Ben & Jerry's cherry cordial ice cream. What the fuck have I just done!

* * *

I'm weaving in and out of traffic as I drive back over to her house. I messed up big time and I need to fix it. I know it's not too late. I will just have to grovel and beg her to forgive me. Why am I always so fucking impulsive? Dammit. Please don't let it be too late. It was just an argument. Couples have them all the time.

I pull up in front of her house for the second time today. The bag with the eggs is gone. I run up to her front door and knock repeatedly with my left hand. She opens it, sees me and moves to slam it but I wedge my foot between the door and its frame. "Mercy, please baby. Just hear me out. I'm sorry. I was completely out of line. I didn't know how to say or ask the question, so I did what came naturally. I got defensive. I never should have treated or spoke to you that way." She continues to try to close the door against my foot and releases a groan at her failure to do so. "Can we just talk about it? More than anything it has more to do with my insecurities than you. You are the most trusting, honest, caring and respectful person I know. I hate myself for accusing you like that. Please baby, let me in so we can talk this over and put it behind us." She grunts and continues to struggle with the door.

"Mom?" I hear Ally's voice calling out from somewhere on the other side of the door and it makes her immediately still. "Is everything alright?"

She exhales roughly, releases the door and moves away from it to answer Ally. "Yes, baby. Sam and I had an argument but he is back to apologize." I push the door open a smidge and lean my head inside the house. My eyes land on Ally and I smile at her.

"I was a jerk and I'm going to beg for forgiveness if your mom is willing to hear me out." Mercy turns and narrows her eyes at me as Ally gives me a 'good-luck' look. I step into the house and close the door behind me. Mercy looks down at my bruised right hand and her face immediately softens.

"What happened?"

"I took out my anger on the steering wheel." I hold it up to her. "As you can see, the steering wheel won."

"Ally, can you put some ice in a towel for Sam?"

"Sure." Ally darts into the kitchen as Mercy turns and walks into the living room. I follow behind her and sit down on the couch. She sits in one of the armchairs. We sit in silence as we wait for Ally to bring the ice.

When Ally arrives with the ice, she walks over to me and gently places the towel on my hand. After holding it in place for a few moments, she looks over at her mom. "You want me to get lost for a little while?"

"Would you mind honey?"

"No, it's fine. I'll go down to Sarah's house. Text me when the coast it clear." She turns and looks at me with a smirk. "Good luck Sam." She chuckles, kisses Mercy's cheek on her way out of the room and then leaves the house.

We sit in silence for several minutes while I look over at her. I clear my throat and shift my position on the couch. "Merc-"

"FUCK YOU SAM!" She screams at me as she jumps up out of her chair. "HOW DARE YOU! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? IF YOU WANT TO END THIS JUST END IT! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR FUCKING GAMES!"

"I don't want to end this. I want you. I just thought-"

"Stop…..talking." Her words still my entire body. She glares at me with a half-scowl, half-frown on her face. She may be a pocket-sized, but the look she is giving me right now has me seriously questioning my safety. She sits back down, closes her eyes and shakes her head. She takes several deep breaths and then looks up at me. "I mean really, who the hell do you think you are? You come over here talking about this total fucked up memory you had and then tell me I am cheating on you. I am not a cheater Sam. I don't cheat. If I wanted to see someone else, I would tell you. I want to be with you and I thought that was what you wanted too. I mean I thought we were working toward something long term but maybe I've been misreading your intentions. Have I? If you can so easily confuse a memory with an alcohol induced dream and use that as evidence that I am cheating on you, maybe I was wrong about this whole relationship." She crosses her legs and her arms and continues to glare at me. "Are you seeing someone else?"

"No!"

"See I dated this guy back in college and he accused me of cheating on him, so he broke up with me only for me to find out that he was the one cheating on me. Is that what's happening here? Are you cheating on me?"

"NO!" Her eyes dart back over at me. "Mercy you just don't know how much I want you. My whole world revolves around you. You are on my mind every single second of the day." I run my left hand through my hair as I exhale. Hoping to lighten the mood I make an admission. "I know it was a dream now, and I know that the dream had more to do with my own insecurities than anything that you have done, but I also blame it on lack of sex." I chuckle softly as I look over at her hoping to see the hint of a smile but there is none.

"What are you insecure about Sam?"

"That I'm not good enough for you."

"Why wouldn't you be good enough for me? You aren't making any sense babe. So why don't you start by telling me every detail about this dream?"

"I pull up in front of your house with the ice cream and walk up to the door. I hear music playing from in here and then look through the side window and see you walking down the stairs in just a bra, panties and a robe. You walk into the living room and I hear you giggling and then moaning. Once I hear that, I start banging on the door until you open it. You tell me that I shouldn't be here and that it wasn't a good time. Then this tall blond guy comes out, wraps his arms around you and starts kissing and licking on your neck. You called him Nick and he called you Mimi. He told you to tell me bye and then you slammed the door in my face. When you slammed the door, I dropped the ice cream. Then my phone starts ringing, or what I guess was ringing and when I try to answer it, it just keeps ringing. The next thing I remember after that is waking up."

"And you have a receipt that shows that you bought ice cream at O'Hares Friday night."

"Yes. I found it in my car last night. After the great day we had yesterday, the dream was the furthest thing from my mind but after finding it I thought about the last time I bought ice cream and that's when the dream came rushing back to me. Then the stop at O'Hare's to get eggs and the clerk telling me what I did was just too much, so I lashed out at you. I still don't know how I got home and I hate the thought of me driving and being that out of it. When I left here today and went home, I opened the freezer to get ice for my hand and there was the ice cream staring right back at me."

She shakes her head and narrows her eyes at me. "I should punch you Sam. I mean I really should. So why didn't you tell me about any of this yesterday? We spent practically the entire day together."

I shrug my shoulders. "I didn't see a need to share my crazy dream with you. Plus, I didn't even remember the dream again until I found the receipt."

She leans forward, uncrosses her arms and locks eyes with me. "OK, listen to me Sam. The only person I know that could be mistaken for a Nick is my first boyfriend, the one I told you about way back when we met, Nicholas Cavanaugh, but I've never called him Nick. I called him Nicholas or Nicky. I haven't seen him in several years. He's never called me Mimi. He calls me Mercedes or Cedes. Now as far as the lack of sex, that's your fault. Us not sleeping together was your deal not mine so you have no one to blame for that but you."

"What? What do you mean I'm to blame?"

"You were the one who decided that sex was going to wait. I was ready to have sex with you our last night in Florida."

"You've got to be kidding me." She shakes her head. "Now I'm really kicking myself." That statement finally solicits a giggle from her and it's like music to my ears. "Baby, please tell me we can forget this morning even happened."

"No, we can't do that." She stands, walks over and sits next to me on the couch. "We have to remember why this happened in the first place, and that is because you were keeping something from me. You can't do that anymore. You have to share anything that is causing you to worry or that is troubling you about me with me and I will do the same. OK?"

I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. "I'll try." I smile timidly. That's a pretty tall order considering the secret I am currently keeping from her.

"Good." She lifts my right hand and I hiss. "Look what you did to yourself." She examines my hand and then gently places it back on my thigh. "You need some more ice?"

"No, but I could use a kiss. You know something that lets me know that I didn't royally fuck up the best thing that has ever happened to me." She leans forward and gently nips on my bottom lip before pressing her lips to mine. She moans softly and it causes every hair on my body to stand up. I angle my head and snake my tongue into her mouth as she brings her hand up and plays with the hair at the nape of my neck. Our tongues continue to duel until she captures mine between her lips. As she sucks on it, I forget my pain ridden hand and pull her onto my lap. "I need you baby."

"I need you too." Lord knows I don't want our first time to be a quickie on her couch but if I don't bury myself inside her soon, I'm going to go crazy. I begin to massage her ass as she pulls away from our kiss and looks down at me. Just as her hands go to the button on her pants, her phone rings. She exhales forcefully and pulls her phone out of her back pocket. "It's Ally." She slides off my lap and answers the call. "Yeah honey. Come on back home." She looks up at me as she ends the call. "Ally is on her way back, but you need to find us some time to finish this. I'm done waiting." She leans over and plants a lingering kiss on my lips before pulling me up to follow her into the kitchen.

* * *

I pick up Zack and during the drive back to Mercy's we have our delayed talk. I explain to him that I know it's been difficult on him living this double life. I ask him to just give me a few more days and explain that all will be out in the open soon. He hates when I tell him 'soon' but I don't want to give him a definite date, in case I chicken out like I have so many times before, but with our fight today and the subsequent conversation, I feel a lot more confident in telling her everything.

"What happened to your hand?"

"I had an argument with Mercy this morning and took out my frustrations on the steering wheel."

"Real smart pop." He chuckles as he turns up the radio to sing along with a song that starts playing. He stops singing abruptly and then turns the radio down. "Wait, does that mean you started to tell her the truth?"

"No, we argued about something else. But we are all good now."

"Oh, OK." He turns the radio back up and drums his fingers against the dashboard as we make our way to Mercy's house.

When we get back to Mercy's, Zack darts out of the car. Ally is standing in front of the house talking to a couple of boys. I'm taken by surprise to say the least. I turn off the engine and then step out of the car in time to hear Zack go into protective brother mode. It's so endearing but the look that Ally is throwing Zack is anything but.

"What school do you go to? He stands there looking at the boy with his arms crossed.

"Donaldson."

"How old are you?"

"I'm fourteen. I'll be fifteen in two months."

"Ally is only thirteen."

"I'll be fourteen next month Zack." Ally groans and rolls her eyes at Zack.

"Doesn't matter. You're a bit too old for her don't you think?" Man, Zack really isn't backing down and Ally is about to punch him. I can just feel it.

"No, I don't think I'm too old for her."

Finally, Ally has had enough. "Zack, you need to chill." She lightly shoves him back and then turns back toward Harry. "I'm sorry Harry. Zack is like my brother and he can get protective, usually for absolutely no reason at all." She turns her head and throws a look toward a smirking Zack.

"It's OK. I'll text you later."

"OK, see you Harry."

"No texting after eleven." The boy walks away with a shake of his head and I watch as Ally playfully punches Zack in the stomach and then pops him on the back of the head.

I chuckle as I walk pass them. I open the door and see Mercy laughing from the living room entryway. "Did you hear that?"

"I did. So cute, but Zack is going to get so much more than she's already given him. Just wait."

"Yeah I know but I thought Ally liked Aaron." We both shrug as I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her. "Hi baby. I missed you."

"You weren't gone that long silly." I nip at her bottom lip.

"I know but I was gone long enough to miss you." I press my lips to hers. "So, what are we going to do today beautiful?"

"I thought we could go to the park or something, but it's supposed to start raining soon. We could go see movie."

"Or we could just stay in a have a lazy day. Order some pizza, kids can have one of their video game marathons and we could find something else to do while they're occupied." I wiggle my eyebrows at her and then wink.

"I think the kids want to go out. They may still want to go bowling you know."

"Let's drop them off at the bowling alley for a few hours then. That way we can come back here and have some adult fun."

"Sam."

"I know, I know."

"They like spending time with us. We should cherish that. In a year or two, spending time with us will be the last thing on their lists."

"You're right. Let's find out what they want to do." At that moment, the door swings open and they both run in. The rain has started and it's coming down in sheets. "What are we going to do today guys? Sam here won't be able to bowl and now that it's raining that pretty much limits us to indoor activities."

"Why don't we just stay in and watch movies or something." Internally, I pump my fist. Ally totally read my mind.

"Yeah, I'm good with that." Zack flicks her ear and she elbows him in his side.

"Movie marathon it is. You two pick out the movies, Mercy and I will go make the popcorn and grab some drinks."

"Aye, aye captain." Ally gives me a playful salute as she and Zack retreat to the basement.

"Now you, come here." She narrows her eyes at me. "Don't look at me like that woman, it's all your fault. You gave me my first taste the other day and I've been craving more ever since." I walk toward her and grab her hand. Before she can stop me, I've pulled her down the hallway and into the bathroom. I close the door quietly behind us.

"Sam, we cannot keep doing this. What if the kids come up and hear us?"

"If you stay quiet, they won't hear a thing."

"That's easy for you to say. That tongue of yours is pretty lethal."

"I aim to please baby." I wrap my arms around her and lift her up onto the sink. "Damn jeans." I unbutton them and pull both her jeans and panties down and off her body. I drop them onto the floor, spread her folds and then plunge my tongue into her. She cries out. "Ssssh, Mercy quiet." I throw her left leg over my shoulder, rub feverishly on her clit and then lick the length of her slit. "Mine." I wrap my lips around her clit as my fingers glide into her. I feel her leg begin to shake against my head, so I suck harder and hum. She cries out again and I quickly remove my fingers and plunge my tongue back into her. I lap up her cream as her heavy breathing calms. When she is calm, I remove my tongue and lick the length of her slit again as I stand up. I shove my fingers in my mouth and remove them with a loud pop. "Finger licking good." She giggles as I kiss her lips and then help her off the sink. "You clean up and I'll start on the popcorn. Round two in a couple of hours." I wink at her and then exit the bathroom.

Mercy joins me in the kitchen about five minutes later. "You know, I think round two should be all about you."

"I could go for that." I pull her next to me and kiss the side of her head. "But that means that we will have to go at least two more rounds before the night is over."

"And why is that?"

"Because I need more. I want to be able to taste you on my tongue long after I've gotten home tonight." The microwave beeps and I remove the bag. I put another one in and start the timer.

"When is Zack going to his mom's again?"

"In two weeks. When's Ally going to her dad's?"

"She will be with him for the next two weekends."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"So, in two weeks your ass is mine and I mean that literally and figuratively. I will finally be balls deep inside you. Baby my dick is already twitching." I nip at her earlobe as my hand travels down to cup her ass. "I need to stock up on condoms now."

"Aren't you going to at least take me out to a nice dinner first?"

"No."

She half-chuckles through her surprised reaction at my response. "What?"

"Baby, when I finally have you all to myself, the only thing on my mind will be burying myself deep inside you. We aren't leaving your house or my apartment for the entire weekend." I turn her body to wrap both my arms around her waist. "Notice I didn't say bed and that's because I will be fucking you against every available surface wherever we are like I promised." I kiss her hard and hungry as her hands go up to tug on my hair and mine lower to massage her ass. The microwave beeps and I remove one of my hands and open its door to silence it. Just as I return my hand to her ass and snake my tongue into her mouth, my phone chimes and that manages to break our connection. I kiss the tip of her nose as I pull my phone out of my back pocket.

_**Stop making out with your not-sure-what-to-call-her girlfriend and come on so we can start the movie**_

I chuckle and hold the phone up for Mercy to read. She laughs and pours the second bag of popcorn into another bowl. We each grab two bottles of water and then walk down the stairs to the basement to join the kids. I playfully shove Zack as both he and Ally laugh at me. "We know you two were making out so don't deny it. We just got tired of waiting."

"Yeah, it's no big deal. Just don't starve your kids in the meantime." Ally gets up and takes the bowl from Mercy and then sits back down on the small palette of blankets that she and Zack have put in the middle of the floor. "We thought we would do horror movies. First up is _The Conjuring_, then _Annabelle, _then_ The Grudge_ and then _It_."

"Sounds good. I'll hit the lights." I walk over and flip the light switch down and then take a seat next to Mercy on the couch.

"No making out with kids in the room dad."

"We wouldn't do that son." I lean in next to Mercy's ear. "Because you can't be quiet." She nudges me with her elbow and rolls her eyes. We cuddle up on the couch and begin to watch the first movie. Every so often I lightly trail my thumb up and down her shoulder or she gently caresses my knee. By the time we are midway through the second movie, she is nestled between my legs with her head resting against my chest. When the second movie ends, we decide to order the pizzas.

"Can we order that big chocolate chip cookie too?"

"Sure."

Mercy goes upstairs to order the food. "What's next?"

"The Grudge."

"Have I seen that one Zack?"

"I don't think so. I think you will like it though."

"Delivery is going to take sixty to ninety minutes. Apparently, there are a lot of people ordering pizza right now."

"I'm hungry."

I know me too. How about some salad or fruit to hold you over until it gets here?"

"That will work." Zack darts upstairs with Ally close behind him.

Mercy sits down next to me and I wrap her up in my arms and nuzzle against her neck. "You want some salad or a piece of fruit babe?"

"Nuh uh. I want you."

"So silly."

"I'm serious baby. Think we can sneak off for a few minutes?"

"Maybe after the pizza gets here." She kisses me softly on the lips.

"Good because I need to taste you again." I trail my hand up and down her thigh as I lick the shell of her ear. The kids run back down the stairs and Ally starts the next movie.

An hour or so into the movie, the pizza arrives. Ally pauses the movie as we all go upstairs. I go to the door while everyone else goes into the kitchen. After paying for the pizza, I head back downstairs.

"What do you want to drink, Dad?"

I still midway down the stairs and answer him. "Water, please. And bring the parmesan cheese with you." I continue down the stairs. I place the pizzas and the cookie on the coffee table and then go into the half-bath to wash my hands. When I come out, Mercy and Zack are back and already digging into the pizza.

"Babe, you want a salad or something to go with yours?"

"Nah. Just the pizza is fine." I take a couple of slices out of the box and place them on my plate and then take a seat next to her on the couch. "Where's Ally?"

"Right here." I turn and see her and also see that she has changed into some pajama pants and a washed-out superman t-shirt.

Zack immediately takes issue. "That's rude. I want to get comfortable too."

"Too bad. You should have brought something comfortable to change in, although I do have some pants with teddy bears on them that I can lend you." She sticks her tongue out of him as she leans over him and grabs a slice of pizza. She cackles when she sees the grimace on his face.

He swats her from over him and huffs. "I'm going to keep a change of clothes in Dad's car from now on."

Mercy just giggles at the two. "Well, you can always just keep something here if you want." She chuckles softly when she sees the smile that quickly spreads across his face and then lightly bumps into my shoulder. "You too, Dad." She looks over at me and winks.

"Done and done." I lean and bump into her. "Although fair warning, I look hella sexy when I am dressed down. You may not be able to keep your hands off me." Mercy just shakes her head and giggles, but Ally falls over laughing.

"Gross, dad. I'm trying to eat here." Zack shakes his head and motions for Ally to restart the movie, but she is still laughing. Ever the impatient one, he leans over, grabs the remote and restarts it himself.

After the movie ends, we all agree that we don't want to watch anymore. Ally and Zack clean up the remnants from our dinner and take the leftover pizza upstairs. "So, what do you want to do for the rest of the night?"

"Well, I know what I want to do but our little CBs won't allow that."

"CBs?"

"Cock blockers."

She swats my chest lightly and giggles. "Stop calling them that." She tries to sound angry but her continued giggles give her completely away. "It's only seven and with the holiday tomorrow, we can still hang out for a while longer."

"Sure. Nothing on my agenda until Tuesday." The kids rejoin us and move to turn on the video game console. Mercy stops them.

"Oh, no. If you want to play a video game, it needs to be something we can all play. We are spending time with each, the four of us. You two have your usual game time on Thursdays." Ally looks over at her and then quickly at Zack, who nods.

"Yes, mom." She opens the cabinet to find a game we can all enjoy. After perusing for a minute or two, she pulls out two options: Mario Kart and Just Dance. She holds them up for us to choose. "Which one do you want to play?"

Mercy studies them for a moment and then smiles. "Let dance." Ally happily nods as Zack groans. Or that groan could have been from me because I groaned too. She looks over at me. "That good with you?" I don't answer immediately and when she notices, she says exactly what I hoped she wouldn't. "Or are you scared?"

When she said it, my eyes narrow at her. Dammit. Now I don't have a choice. I'm never one to back down and I think she has learned that about me. I smirk at her as I stand. "Oh, it's so on."

"Oh, god." I look over at Zack, surprised by his outburst. "Dad, I know you think that you are a great dancer, but believe me, your only son, when I say you are not." Zack just shakes his head and sits down on the floor next to the coffee table.

"Hmm, I see we have some naysayers around here, so let's turn this into a competition." I think for a quick moment, look up at Ally and then down at him. "I think it is safe to say that Mercy and Ally will be better at this game than you or me. So I say we each team up with one of them and the two who score the lowest number of points has to cook our dinner for next Thursday." I cross my arms, look quickly at each of them and wait for someone to speak.

Mercy jumps up and takes Zack's hand pulling him up. "I want to team up with Zack!" Ally looks over at me and smiles weakly.

"Harsh baby, but that's OK. Ally and I will take the two of you on any day of the week!"

'Sure. You just remember that while Zack and I wait for our perfectly cooked dinner Thursday night." I move over to Ally and take the game case from her as she loads the disc into the game console. "Ally go get some paper so we can make the song selection as random as possible." Ally darts up the stairs and is back in a flash with four pens and a pad of post-it notes in hand. "Now, write down the name of the songs and the artist. Fold them up and put female artists in one pile, male artists in another pile and then groups in a third pile." I sit down to do what she said and see that all of us are really into this. It only takes a couple of minutes to form the piles. Zack and I slide the table closer to the stairs to give us some room to move.

"Anybody want to go first, or should we draw straws?" Zack looks around at each of us. When nobody speaks up, I stand to go first. I pick one from the male artist pile and unfold it.

"Oh, good. I got _Happy _by Pharrell Williams. I know that one." I grin over at Mercy. "Be prepared to be amazed."

"Really, dad?"

"Pipe down you. You just don't recognize a talented dancer when you see one." Ally chuckles and takes me through a quick tutorial. Once the sensor recognizes me, I move my hand to choose the song. The music starts and I watch for the upcoming moves. They all seem simple enough, but I seem to do them a bit too late each time. The second verse is a little easier than the first since it seems the moves are being repeated so I do a little better that time around, but still, just a tad too late. By the time the bridge rolls around, I'm doing my own moves. I threw in the sprinkler, the cabbage patch and my infamous body roll. When the song finally finishes, I turn around and they are all rolling on the floor laughing their asses off. "Y'all just don't know talent when you see it." I turn and then sit down on the couch with a defeated look on my face.

Mercy finally peels herself off of the floor and sits next to me. "Aww, babe. It was a nice try." She leans over and gives me a lingering peck while trying her best to contain her giggles. I look over and see both Zack and Ally wiping their eyes as their laughing finally dies down.

"Well, that was quite a show Sam. Let's see what your score was." Ally looks up at the TV. "2813." She writes down my name and score on a post-it note and then looks up. "Who's next?"

"I'll go." Mercy stands and goes toward the female artist pile. She picks one, unfolds it and then smiles. "Oh, you are so going down." She turns the paper around for us to see. "_Dark Horse_ by Katy Perry."

"Let me guess, that's the one you wanted?"

"Nope. Actually, I wanted _Bang Bang _or_ Problem _but this one is cool too_._" She takes her place in the center of the room. She chooses the song and gets into the starting pose. Oh my god. The moment she started twisting her hips, I was lost. By the time she did the slow rocking move down to the floor and back up all while somewhat twisting those damn hips, I was ready to turn the damn game off. I wasn't even watching the TV anymore. My eyes were trained on her. Who throws a lasso like that? Every twist and pelvic thrust had me on edge. I know I shifted my position on the couch at least a dozen times and she still hadn't made it to the bridge yet. When the bridge finally came around, I had shifted my entire body sideways to shield the very prominent situation in my pants. She finally finishes and I think I am panting harder than she is. Ally and Zack cheer and then we all look up to see her score.

"9008! That's a personal best for me." She high-fives Zack and then turns her head to look at me. "Oh, nothing from the peanut gallery?" She raises an inquisitive eyebrow at me and smirks.

"That was great baby." My voice cracked almost unnoticeably but she picked up on it and gives me a confused look. She nods and then turns back to Zack and Ally.

"Who's next."

"I'll go." Ally walks to the table and picks one from the female artist pile, unfolds it and then starts bouncing up and down. "I got Problem!" She laughs. "You are so going down Mom."

I look over at Mercy. "We'll see little girl." She rolls her eyes and smiles as she walks over to the couch to join me. She leans in next to my ear. "You OK, babe?"

I nod. "Yes, just remind me to have you do that song for me again when we are alone." I nip at her ear as Zack begins to aggressively clear his throat at us.

"Hello! Impressionable kids in the room."

"Don't remind me." I smile sweetly at him and then turn my attention to Ally. "Come on Ally, you can do it!"

Ally chooses her song. The music starts and I my eyes move between the TV and her. I'm quickly happy that Mercy didn't get this song. I would have keeled over for sure. Too much hip thrusting. I look over at Zack and immediately get tickled. He looks like he is about to snatch Ally up and make her sit down. I lightly elbow Mercy and nod my head at Zack. She looks over and starts snickering. I continue to move my eyes between the TV, Ally and Zack until the song finishes. Mercy and I cheer for her after it is over and wait for her score to appear.

"8573." Mercy writes her score down.

Zack stands. "I'll give you one less problem. Sit your narrow behind down somewhere." She shoves him as she passes, and he flicks her ear. "Cedes tell her she can't be dancing like that in public." Mercy and I just giggle. "It's borderline indecent."

"OK, grandpa. Just choose a song and keep your opinions to yourself."

"You need to listen to me. I'm your elder."

"Yeah by what, 53 days?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm still older."

"Whatever little boy."

Zack picks from the male artist pile, unfolds it and then reads it out loud. "_It's My Birthday_ by Will. . Never heard of it." Zack takes his place and then chooses the song. The music starts and he seems to have caught on very quickly. As he goes through the song, I feel Mercy bouncing next too me and see her nodding her head out of the corner of my eye. Apparently, Zack does one of the moves perfectly, because both her and Ally yell out and then continue to cheer him on. I look on and continue to watch as 'Perfect' appears repeatedly on the screen. Once the song finishes, we all cheer for him and I notice the tips of his ears have turned red. We wait for the score.

"6355!"

"Not too shabby loser boy." Ally gives him a side hug as he bumps his hip into her.

"He's a chip off of the old block." They all turn and look at me and then roar with laughter again. "You know, I'm not going to take much more of this abuse." Ally tallies the score but we all know that Zack and Mercy won.

"Final score. Mom and Zack got 15,363 points. Me and Sam got 11,386 points."

"Losers!" Zack throws his arm around Mercy's shoulder. "What do you want for dinner Thursday night, Cedes?" She turns to him and they huddle together to come up with their menu.

When they are done, they both turn and face us. He just smiles and she taps her index finger against her chin in thought. A huge smile then spreads across her face. "Master Zack and I will require homemade chicken and dumplings with fresh green beans and a red velvet cake for dessert."

"You cannot be serious."

"Oh, yes we are! I have a ton of cookbooks that you are more than welcome to use. Ally can make the cake. It's her specialty."

I look over at Ally and she just shrugs. I look back over at Mercy and Zack and just groan. "Me and my big mouth."

* * *

We ended up dancing to most of the songs, even a couple of times as a group. When Ally started yawning, I looked down at my watch and noticed that it was after eleven. "It's late baby." I show her my watch.

"Oh, wow. I didn't realize."

"Yeah, I know." I look over at Zack. "You ready to go buddy?" He nods. I look back over at Mercy.

"You two need to keep some necessities here so on nights like these you can just stay over."

"We will do just that so the next time this happens we can."

She nods and tries to stifle a yawn. I stand and move over to the table to move it back. I begin to gather up all of the folded pieces of paper, but she stops me. "Leave them. We may need them another time." I nod and then pull her up from the couch.

"We're going to head out so you two can get some sleep, but we will be here early tomorrow."

"How early?"

"How's ten-ish?"

She nods and grabs my hand as we walk up the steps. Ally and Zack follow behind us. When we reach the main floor, Ally says her good nights by giving both me and Zack hugs and then kisses her mom on the cheek before turning to head upstairs to her bedroom. Once we reach the front door, Mercy pulls Zack into a hug and rubs the top of his head. "Have a good night, Zack. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Cedes." He releases her and then opens the door to exit. I hand him the keys so that he can wait in the car for me.

I gather her up in my arms and kiss her lips softly. "You know, we never did make it to round two. I'm going to be a mess tonight."

She playfully swats my chest. "I know but you had a good time tonight otherwise, right?"

"Are you kidding me? I had the best night. I need more just like it."

"I think we can manage that." She leans up and kisses me. After a few short seconds, I snake my tongue between her lips and devour her. Our tongues duel for a bit before she relents and allows me to take control. Once I've gotten my fill, I slowly draw away leaving a few lingering pecks on her lips. When we have parted, she lays her head against my chest and sighs softly. "Drive safe, babe. Text me when you get home."

"I will, beautiful. Good night." She raises her head to look up at me and then kisses me again.

"Good night."


	7. Labor Day Fun

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Monday September 7th (Labor Day)

Zack and I arrive at Mercy's a little later than I had wanted. I pull up to my usual spot at the curb and just as I am about to kill the engine, I see her bright smile as she emerges from the house and signals for me to pull into the driveway. She usually parks there, but today she has backed her car into the garage. I make the small turn into her normal spot and Zack jumps out the moment I shift into park. I turn off the car and then climb out just as she speaks to him.

"Hi Zack." She hugs him.

"Hey Cedes." They both turn toward me as he throws an arm around her shoulder. "We're late because dad kept changing his clothes." He snickers as I glare at him and then quickly down at my clothing. I finally settled on a pair of light wash jean shorts and a royal blue polo.

"Pay him no mind baby." I walk toward them, and then push Zack's arm off her. "You look beautiful by the way." I wrap my arms around her and then smirk at Zack. She is wearing a pair of khaki capri pants with a light peach colored ribbed tank top. Her hair is pulled up in a high bun that allows me to see the small gold hoop earrings adorning each of her earlobes. On her feet are a pair of jeweled light brown wedge sandals. Even with the additional inches from the sandals, I still tower over her.

"Thank you." She pulls away and looks at me with a soft smile. "You don't look half bad yourself." She grabs Zack's hand, turns and starts walking toward the house. Suddenly I feel just a wee-bit slighted and Zack senses it as he turns his head back and scrunches his nose at me.

I move to her other side and possessively take her other hand. "Where's Ally?"

She looks over and up at me. "She's out back, probably on the trampoline." Just before we reach the door, she releases both our hands to open it. We follow her inside and then into the kitchen.

"Need any help with anything Cedes?"

She looks over at him and smiles. "No, honey. I think we got it covered in here."

"OK, well, I'm going out back with Ally then." He leans over and kisses her on the cheek. It startles her and her smile widens as her eyes follow him out the back door.

She softly chuckles. "Babe. He has never done that before." It came out as a whisper. She turns her head and looks up at me with just a hint of tears in her eyes. Her hand is holding the exact spot on her cheek where he kissed her. "I think he is really starting to like me."

"Oh, I know he is." I just smile back at her. "But, not more than me. Now come here, woman." I grab her hand, tug her closer to me, connect our lips and then wrap my arms around her waist.

Too quickly, she begins pulling her lips from mine and tries to wiggle from my arms. "No, no, no. You've got to get started on all this meat. I've already seasoned the chicken and burgers. We have some sausages too. You can fire up the grill whenever you're ready."

"I'm not ready to do that yet. I want to touch you. Yesterday was so bittersweet. While we had an awesome time, I didn't get my Mercy fill. Can we sneak off for a few minutes?"

She stops trying to wiggle from my hold. "Babe, that is so tempting, but I don't think it's a good idea with Spence, Alistair and their friends due here any minute."

I study her for a few seconds. "Yeah, you're probably right but we will be sneaking off later." I sneak another lingering kiss as I move my hands down from her waist to gently squeeze her ass. "Now, my next question. Why aren't you wearing a skirt?"

"I didn't know I was supposed to be wearing a skirt."

"You should always wear a skirt for me baby. That way I can get to my cookie when I want to. You should go change."

"You're not serious." She chuckles as she shakes her head and tries to wiggle out of my arms again. I release her ass but keep my arms loosely around her.

"I am. As beautiful as you look now, you will look just as, if not more, beautiful in a skirt. Plus, there are added advantages to you wearing one." She narrows her eyes at me and puckers her lips. "Meaning, if you had a skirt on, I could have given you an orgasm by now." I smirk at her.

"You're a cocky little shit, aren't you?"

"I think we both know the answer to that question, don't we?"

She narrows her eyes again and crosses her arms. "Anyway, I'm not completely sold on your reasoning, and even less appealing to me, is the fact that the last time I wore a skirt for you, you took my panties. Panties that I actually like and that you still haven't returned by the way. So, I'll make you a deal. I'll wear a skirt again when you return my panties."

A wicked smile spreads across my face. "You know, something told me you were going to mention those today. It just so happens that I have them right here." I pull them out of my right front pocket and hold them in the air in front of her.

"Unbelievable." She shakes her head and chuckles as she snatches them from me.

"I know. Now you –" I snap my fingers and point toward the stairs. "A skirt."

"Do you honestly think we are going to be able to sneak away with guests in the house?"

"We won't have to sneak away." I grab her hand, move further into the kitchen and position her body in front of the sink facing the window above it. "See you could be right here looking out this window into the back yard while my fingers have their way with you. No one would have a clue." I begin to lower my mouth to her neck but stop when the doorbell rings. She turns her head and kisses the tip of my nose.

I take her hand and quickly tug her toward to staircase leading upstairs. "I'll get the door. You get into a skirt. Preferably one that isn't too form fitting. Something like the one you had on when we had dinner here last week." She turns slowly, still not totally sold on the idea and starts her journey upstairs. I swat her ass lightly to hurry her along and then walk to the front door.

I open it and smile. "Hey guys. Come on in. My co-host went upstairs for a moment. She'll be right back."

Everyone is smiling back at me. "Hey Sam. These are my friends from college. That's Victoria, that's Daphne and this is Joe. Guys this is Sam." I step back to allow them to enter the house but only Spencer and Alistair do as they are carrying the side dishes. They immediately walk into the kitchen. I turn back to see a bald guy, a red head, a blonde guy and a blonde just staring at me.

The bald guy speaks as he releases the red head's hand. "Hi Sam. It's nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind. One of our coworkers was going to be on his own today so we brought him along. This is Carter." He gestures to the blond guy.

"Hi Carter. It's a pleasure to meet you all. Come on in." I motion for all of them to come in and then close the door once they have.

The red head smiles at me. "Thank you." I nod at her and smile as I walk pass them.

"Hey Sam, where are the kids?" Alistair grabs my attention as he exits the kitchen.

"They're out back. I was just about to fire up the grill."

The blond woman moves toward me. "Can I help with something?"

I shake my head at her and smile. "No. It's nice of you to offer but you're our guest. Please make yourself at home." I look around at them. "Can I get anyone anything to drink?" Everyone shakes their heads. "OK, well there's horseshoes and cornhole set up out back if anyone wants to play. The kids are probably still on the trampoline."

Spencer appears next to Alistair. "Come on guys, I'll introduce you to Ally and Zack." The red head grabs the hand of the bald guy and follows Spencer and Alistair to the backyard.

The blonde guy steps toward me. "Sam, can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure, it's the second door there on the left." I point toward the room.

"Thanks." I watch as he turns and walks toward the bathroom. The blond still hasn't moved so I assume she is waiting for him. I turn and walk into the kitchen.

* * *

I move to turn on the faucet but stop when I hear a soft voice speak behind me. "I really don't mind helping." I turn my head back to see the blond smiling at me. "Besides, I like being in the kitchen, and if I get to be in here with you, then it's a win-win for me." She winks.

I turn and lean back against the sink. "Um, thanks but it's really not necessary. We've got everything covered here."

"You sure?" She takes a few steps into the kitchen but whatever else she was about to say is interrupted.

"Sure about what?" Mercy's eyes land on the blond as she offers her a warm smile. "Hi. I'm Mercedes and you are?"

"Hi. I'm Victoria."

"It's nice to meet you Victoria." Mercy smiles over at me. "Where's everybody else?"

"They're out back baby."

Her eyes dart quickly between me and Victoria and then back to me. "OK, you ready to fire up the grill?"

"Yes. I'll be out there in just a minute. I just need to wash my hands."

"OK." She clears her throat. "Victoria, can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

"Mercedes?" We both turn to look at the surprised expression on his face.

"Oh my god! Nicholas?! What are you doing here?" She walks over to him and gives him a quick friendly hug. When she releases him, her eyes dart quickly over to me and then back at him.

"I go by my middle name, Carter, now. I'm in town for a conference until Wednesday. I guess my coworkers are friends of Alistair's and invited me to tag along. I hope that's OK."

She gives me another quick glance and then nervously smiles at him. "Of course it's OK. It's good to see you again. Why don't you and Victoria head on out back? We'll be out in a few minutes." They both nod and walk out to the backyard with the others.

"So that's Nicholas?"

"Yes, that's Nicholas. And before you get all crazy, it's not a big deal. There is nothing between us and you know that." She walks over toward me and wraps her arms loosely around my neck.

"I know but I still feel a pang of jealousy."

"You shouldn't but I think I should." She arches an eyebrow at me. "What's the deal with that Victoria chick?"

"No idea but she was starting to annoy me big time."

"Well I'll keep my eyes on you and you keep your eyes on me and that will be that. Besides, I'm wearing a skirt now and I'll let you in on a little secret." She takes me by the wrist and tucks my hand under the front side of her khaki skirt. "I'm panty-free just for you." She pulls my mouth down to hers and softly licks then kisses my lips.

_Sweet Jesus_. "I definitely have to wash my hands now or all the food will be covered in your sweet sauce." She giggles as I trail my fingers up the length of her slit. I plunge two fingers inside her and then pull them out.

"Crazy boy." I stuff my fingers in my mouth and suck off her juice. Then with a goofy grin plastered on my face, I wash my hands and dry them on a kitchen towel. "Come on." I pick up the pan with the meat as she grabs the utensils and a roll of paper towel.

When we get outside, we see Zack, Ally, Spencer and the bald guy on the trampoline, Victoria and Nicholas aka Carter are sitting in two of the patio chairs talking, and the red head and Alistair are playing horseshoes. Mercy and I walk over to the grill. "Kiss the cook."

She giggles and leans up on her tiptoes to give me a soft lingering kiss. "That was for their benefit, right?"

"Maybe, but I'll never miss an opportunity to kiss you baby." I swat her on the ass lightly when she turns to walk over to meet the red head and hug Alistair. Then she waves a hello to the bald guy and waits for Spencer to climb off of the trampoline for a hug before she joins Nicholas aka Carter and Victoria.

* * *

Once I get the grill going, I place the chicken breasts on it. I adjust the fire and watch it for a few minutes. I decide to grill a few sausages in case anyone wants one before the chicken and burgers get done. After placing a few of those on the grill, I close the lid and look around to find everyone appearing to enjoy themselves. Spencer is chasing Ally, Zack and Alistair are watching them and the red head and the bald guy, who I have now figured out to be Daphne and Joe, are by the cooler. I walk over to grab myself some water.

"Are you two having a nice time?" I reach down into the ice-filled cooler and grab two bottles.

Joe clears his throat. "Yes, thanks again for letting us crash." Daphne smiles and nods her head.

"Sure, and if you need anything, please let me know." I smile and nod at them as I walk over to where Zack and Alistair are now laughing at Spencer and Ally. He has captured her and has her flung over his shoulder while she tries to kick out of his hold.

"Daddy, put me down!" She struggles some more. "Let me go!" She is giggling so hard she is out of breath.

"Never!" He has an arm wrap tightly over his shoulder and around her waist as he reaches us. "Now, who is Harry?"

"OK, OK. I'll tell you. Just please put me down." He places her feet on the ground. "He is just a boy daddy. I met him yesterday while I was at Sarah's house." She smiles over at me and continues. "He's her brother Manny's friend."

Zack adds his unsolicited two cents as I feel Mercy's arms wrap around my waist. "I didn't like the looks of him and plus he's too old for her." I shake my head and grin as I hand her one of the bottles that I am holding then wrap an arm around her.

"Nobody asked you!" Ally throws a look at him and then clears her throat. "He's fifteen and he goes to Donaldson. That's all I know about him other than his name. I was sitting on the porch yesterday when I saw him walking. He saw me too and came up to me and asked for my phone number. I gave it to him and then Zack and Sam showed up. He was supposed to text me last night, but I think Zack scared him off with all his questions."

"You shouldn't be giving your phone number out to boys you don't know." Zack is really trying her patience. I feel like I need to speak up and reel him in, but I am stopped by Spencer's voice.

He wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Buggy, you're my heart. This is the first I am hearing of you talking to boys and it's hard for me." He pulls her tightly into his side. "If this boy got scared off by a few questions, maybe he wasn't someone who was worth your time anyway." She nods as her mouth drops in a small frown. "Besides, Zack here probably saved that boy's life." Her head quickly darts up to look at him. "Because if I had gotten my hands on him, I would have ended him for even looking at you."

She drops her head as she elbows him in the stomach. "That's not even funny daddy."

"Who's trying to be funny?" He shrugs his shoulders.

She looks over at Mercy. "Momma?"

Mercy moves out of our embrace. "OK, that's enough." She quickly eyes Zack and then Spencer. "Ally can help her beauty, she gets it from her momma." Mercy chuckles as Ally smiles. She pulls Ally out of Spencer's arm as she elbows him too. "Honey, your dad is kidding." She narrows her eyes at Spencer. "He just can't help himself sometimes." Spencer defiantly crosses his arms. "Besides, this is a conversation for another time." She wraps an arm around Ally's shoulder and walks away from us.

Spencer's eyes follow them. "I swear, those two there…." Spencer groans loudly and just throws his arms up. "I need a cigarette and I don't even smoke!" He looks over at me and smirks. "That's just a taste of what's to come for you. I haven't always been bald you know. I had a nice head of dark blond hair too, but dealing with those two? I was getting grayer and grayer every day, so I just shaved it off." I guess the look on my face was clearly one that warranted their reactions. Zack was on the ground laughing and both Spencer and Alistair were cackling so hard that they were holding each other up.

* * *

I am back over at the grill when I feel eyes on me and look up to see Mercy staring at me. She is seated at the patio table with Victoria and Nicholas aka Carter again. I raise my eyebrow at her and mouth 'What?'

She stands and saunters over to me. "I was just admiring your form. You're looking hella sexy right now babe."

Her statement goes straight to my cock. "You can't say things like that to me right now. It will make me forget we have guests." I lean down and kiss the side of her head. I need to change the subject or the situation quickly forming in my pants will be pretty visible to everyone. "What were you three talking about over there?"

"I wasn't talking to them. I was reliving our moment from yesterday."

Now why did she have to go and say that. "Woman, I will fuck you right here on the patio if you don't stop teasing me."

"Promises, promises."

"Wow, really?" I chuckle and shake my head as I roll the sausages. "What in the world has gotten into you Mercy?"

"I don't know. I think being out here around everyone sans panties is turning me on. We may need to make a trip to the bathroom soon."

"Really?" I grin down at her as I wrap my free arm around her waist. "Once these sausages are finished, I'll go. You wait one minute and come join me."

"Deal."

"Excuse me, can I use your bathroom?" Son of a bitch. This Victoria chick is in my face again.

"Sure, I'll show you where it is." Mercy leads her toward the door. Before she enters, she turns and throws a pleading look my way.

I watch as they both go into the house. I remove the sausages, check the chicken and then place the burgers on the grill. As hard as I am trying not to, the thought of Mercy being so turned on and walking around without panties is getting to me. I want to watch her cum. I want to feel her walls clenching around my tongue. I adjust the heat on the grill and then look over at Nicholas aka Carter. "Hey Carter, can you keep an eye on this for a few minutes for me?"

"Sure, no problem."

I go into the house and as I round the corner, I run right into Mercy. I grab her hand. "Come on."

"Victoria is in there."

"Then we will have to improvise." I pull her up the stairs and into her bedroom. "On the bed." I lock the door and watch her get on the bed. I go to her and hover over her for a few seconds. "You telling me that you were turned on really did a number on me. My cock is rock hard." I place her hand on the bulge in my shorts. She firmly rubs my erection and then places her hands on my hips. "I give zero fucks about anybody knowing what we are up to in here." I lower my hips and grind into her. Her eyes close as she moans. "You still have to be quiet Mercy." She nods. I position myself on the bed next to her and glide my fingers up and down her slit. "I know it's my doing because I want our first time to be special, but I'll tell you this. If I had a condom, I would fuck you hard and fast right now." I slip two fingers inside her and her breath hitches. "I'd do you against the wall." I continue thrusting my fingers into her. "I wouldn't even undress you. Have you ever been fucked fully dressed baby?" I look at her face as she bites down on her bottom lip. "Have you?" She shakes her head as I quicken the pumping of my fingers. "I would move the crotch of your boy shorts to the side, unzip my fly and slide my dick right in." She moans softly as I lower my head and use my teeth to inch up her top. "Ssssh." Once her shirt is up far enough, I attach my mouth to her bra-covered nipple and suck. I circle my fingers inside her and massage her clit with my thumb. "You ready to cum baby?" She moans again and I cover her mouth with mine as I feel her walls clench around my fingers. Her hips pitch up and I plunge my fingers deeper allowing her cum to coat them completely. After a few seconds she lowers her hips and we kiss until her breathing normalizes. "All better baby?"

"Much."

I slide my fingers out of her and shove them into my mouth. "Mm mm mm." She giggles and I roll over to lay on top of her. I grind my cock against her again and rest my forehead against hers. "Mark my words baby. The next time I come over here, I will have condoms. At this point, I will take a quickie if that's all I can get." I kiss the tip of her nose and then lift my body off her. I pull her up from the bed and grab her ass. "And I'm going to pay some attention to this masterpiece." I kiss her loudly on the neck. "Now, you go freshen up, I'm going to head back downstairs." She kisses me once more, turns and then goes into her bathroom. I unlock her door and hurry down the stairs. I go into the downstairs bathroom and lower my shorts. I start to jerk myself off and after only a few strokes with the scent of her still on my fingers, I get my release. I use some toilet paper to quickly clean myself up and then I exit the bathroom. As I am passing the kitchen, I realize that I forgot to wash my hands, so I go over to the kitchen sink. Just as I turn off the faucet, I hear the back door open. I turn my head to see Victoria gawking at me.

"Is there anything stronger to drink?"

"No, sorry. You're free to go get something stronger if you'd like."

"Is there a store nearby?"

"Yes, O'Hares is just around the corner. Maybe Spencer or Alistair can go with you."

"I was hoping you would. I mean I'd like to spend some time alone with you so that we can get to know each other better."

I still and stare at her for a second. Is she serious? I know she is aware Mercy and I are together. I let out a dry chuckle as I shake my head. The gall of this chick. I dry my hands and then throw the towel over my shoulder. I face her, cross my arms and tilt my head. "Well, Victoria there are actually a few reasons why that won't be happening. First and foremost, my lady may not be too keen on me jumping into the car and going off with someone who is so obviously disrespecting her, her house and our relationship. Second, I know I just met you literally like an hour ago, but I really don't like you. I'm not sure what you are thinking but I'm most definitely taken. Next, I am not interested. Not even a tiny little bit. And finally, even if I was available, you're not my type. I wouldn't give you a second look. Now, I suggest you have Spencer or Alistair go with you if you don't feel like you can go on your own." I slide the towel off my shoulder and toss it on the island as I pass her and walk out the back door onto the patio.

"I think it's just about done Sam." I turn my head in his direction and walk over toward the grill to join Nicholas aka Carter.

He hands me the tongs. "I think you're right." I stick the thermometer in the chicken and then the burgers. "The burgers are done but the chicken still needs to cook a bit longer. Thanks for keeping an eye on it for me."

"Sure, no problem." He stands nearby and watches as I remove the burgers from the grill and begin to put sauce on the chicken. I hear the soft hiss of the back door and turn my head to see Victoria stepping out of the house. That chick is crazy. I focus back on the grill and place the rest of the sausages on it. "So, you and Cedes, huh?"

I nod my head. "Yeah. That's my girl."

"She's a great girl."

"I know. Best thing that has ever happened to me." I smile as I glance over at him.

He nods and keeps his eyes on the grill. "She was for me too. We were just so young. I hated the way we ended but she was right. We needed time to grow and mature. It didn't make sense for us to hold on to each other. I just wish she would have given it a chance though, you know. I have no doubt that had she, well we would still be together probably married with a few kids." He looks over at me with feigned concern. "Oh, I'm sorry, she told you about me, didn't she? I mean you know that we dated in high school, right? I was her first."

"Yes, I am aware and no offense but I'm happy that she didn't give it a chance. I mean it worked out for me, right?" I chuckle nervously as I watch the expression on his face fall. I mean what did he expect me to say? She's mine so back the fuck up dude. You and little Ms. Crazy need to recognize that Mercy and I are together. I hear the back door again and see Mercy step out wearing a satisfied smile and carrying a portable speaker. I internally beam with pride because I know that I am responsible for that smile. She looks over at me and winks and then walks over to watch Alistair and Daphne throw horseshoes. I smile as I watch her ass waving to me but my smile fades when I notice Nicholas' aka Carter's predatory stare following her as well. What the fuck? Someone has to be fucking with me. First Ms. Crazy and now him.

"Well, you know what they say, everything old is new again." He takes a drink from his bottle of water and smirks at me as he walks over to stand next to her. This motherfucker is trying me for real! Music starts playing from the speaker and she starts bouncing to the beat. Yeah, that's not going to work for me with Nicholas' aka Carter's words replaying in my head.

"Hey Mercy." I call out to her and she looks back at me. "Can I see you for a minute baby?" She nods and begins to walk toward me. I turn my attention back to the grill.

"What's up babe?"

I roll the sausages and lower my voice. "Baby, I am trying to keep my temper in check but in the span of five minutes that Victoria chick came on to me and your Nicholas just gave me a thinly veiled threat, and now you are about to start dancing and bouncing and twisting and thrusting. It's just too much."

"What are you talking about? Calm down. What did he say?"

I sit the tongs down and turn my attention to her. "He was talking about how you were the best thing that ever happened to him, and how he wished that you would have given the two of you a chance when you were younger. He said some shit about if you had then you two would be married with kids. Then he said everything old is new again."

Her eyes scan mine. "You're not serious."

"Yeah, I am."

She laces the fingers of one of her hands with mine. "What did Victoria do?"

"She asked me to go with her to the store so that we could spend some time alone together and get to know each other better."

She stares at me with her mouth gaped. "Are they both crazy?"

"They have to be. Now, I put Victoria in check, and I will do the same with your Nicholas, but I just wanted to tell you first."

"Stop calling him my Nicholas. He is not my Nicholas. He is just Nicholas." She squeezes my hand and narrows her eyes at me.

"Ok then just Nicholas needs to be informed that you are mine and I don't share." I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her next to me. "I'll take care of it." I kiss the top of her head and then lean down to kiss her. My eyes dart over to see him watching us. I let my hand move lower and cup her ass as my mouth devours hers. Drawing away from her mouth, my eyes dart back over to him and I see that he is now talking to Ms. Crazy herself, but they are watching me and Mercy. Good, I'm killing two birds with one stone.

Suddenly, Ally rushes up to us, grabs Mercy's hand and begins to pull her. "Mom come on, it's our song."

"Um." I nod to let her know it's fine. "OK, come on."

My eyes follow them as they move toward an open space in the yard. I've heard the song that is currently playing before but I can't name it. I tune into the lyrics. My eyes are trained on her just as I hear the woman say, 'looking so crazy in love' and then it happens. She turns towards Ally and they both begin to bounce as 'uh oh uh oh uh oh no no no' rings out of the speaker. My mouth flies open and my eyes try to leave their sockets. They both jump to face away from one another and do the move again. Spencer, Alistair, Daphne and Joe egg them on as I see Nicholas aka Carter cock his head to the side and fucking bite down on his lip. It is taking everything in me to contain myself. I see Zack watching on with his arms crossed. Neither of us are amused. He quickly glances over at me and our eyes lock as we both shake our heads. The ending of this song cannot come soon enough for me. When it finally does, cheers ring out as Mercy and Ally giggle and embrace. When they part, Mercy timidly looks over at me as she moves to walk back over to where I am by the grill. In the process, Nicholas aka Carter tries to stop her, but she waves him off.

She reaches me just as I remove the last piece of chicken from the grill. I turn my head in Spencer's direction. "Meat is done everybody. Help yourself. Mercy and I will bring out the sides." I take her hand and lead her into the house.

Once we get inside and into the kitchen, I trap her against the refrigerator and attack her mouth. She moans against my assault and wraps her arms low around my waist. A few moments later, we are both breathless. Through heavy pants, I grin down at her, kiss the tip of her nose and then slowly pull her away from the refrigerator.

She turns and I quickly swat her on the ass. She throws a flirty look back at me and then turns back as she opens the refrigerator door. She takes out the bowls of pasta salad and potato salad, stacking them on the adjacent counter. She then removes the taco dip and closes the door using her hip. I hear the back door open and look over to see Ally and Zack enter the kitchen.

"Can we help?"

"Sure. Zack, grab the chips off the island and take them and this taco dip out for me please." She hands the dip over to him. "Ally, you can take these." She hands her the two bowls. "I'll grab a few serving spoons." They both head back out the door as I move to grab two potholders and take the baked beans out of the oven. "I'll try to refrain from dancing anymore babe. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable."

I frown and shake my head at her. "I don't want that. I want you to have a good time. Besides, I like watching you dance, and I am still waiting on that private one. But just be warned, if I snatch you into the house, you'll know exactly why." I lean down and give her a quick deep kiss.

She smiles as we part. "Duly noted. Come on, let's go eat. I'm starving."

"After you beautiful." I follow her back out the door. She clears a place for me to put down the baked beans and then we stand back while everyone fixes a plate. Soon enough, everyone is seated, and we take a look around. Joe, Alistair, Spencer and Daphne are seated at one patio table and Zack, Ally, Nicholas aka Carter and Victoria are seated at the other. Each table only seats five at a time. The tables aren't very big so pulling a chair from one to the other may not be the best idea. I look over at her. "What do you want to do?"

"I would say we could sit at separate tables, but I really don't want to sit with Nicholas, and I don't want you sitting with Victoria."

"I'm glad you said that because I don't want to sit with Victoria or Nicholas aka Carter, and I definitely don't want you sitting anywhere near him."

"Let's just wait until somebody gets done then." She looks up at me. "Horseshoes while we wait?"

I nod. "OK."

Halfway to where the game is set up, Spencer's voice stops us. We both look back at him. "Hey Merce, come on over and eat with us." Spencer pulls the chair out next to him and motions for Mercy to sit.

She shakes her head. "Thanks Spence but Sam and I are going to wait and eat together. We are going to play horseshoes in the meantime." She grabs my hand.

"Oh, stop it. You eat with Sam all the time. He can stand to be without you for a meal, can't you Sam?"

"Actually, no Spencer I can't. I want to enjoy the barbecue with my baby." I make sure to say it loud enough for everyone to hear me. I glance over and see the annoyed expression on Nicholas' aka Carter's face and smile as I bring her hand to my lips. Good, serves that asshole right.

* * *

About twenty minutes later Joe waves us over to the table. "You two can have our seats. Sam, best damn barbecue chicken I've had in a while!" Joe playfully rubs his belly as he and Daphne stand and remove their plates.

"Thanks man. Glad you liked it." I nod at him as I grab Mercy's hand and we go fix ourselves plates and then return to the table with Spencer and Alistair.

"I'm ready for seconds. Joe is right, that chicken is delicious Sam." Alistair stands and walks over to get some more food. I use the hand sanitizer on the table, but Mercy gets up to go wash her hands and grab some more napkins. I look over at Spencer and damn if he isn't giving me another one of those looks. I begin to ask him about it, but he speaks up instead.

"So, Friday night. Do you even remember it?" He folds his arms in front of him on the table and studies me.

I clear my throat. "What do you mean?"

"I mean do you remember anything about Friday night because I definitely do." He chuckles softly.

And then it clicks. "You saw me at O'Hare's?" By this time, Alistair has returned.

"Yeah. Oh yeah. You were quite the sight to see!" He looks over at Alistair and then both of them stare at me.

"Are you responsible for getting me home?"

"Guilty." He smiles but then turns serious. "What in the world was going on with you?"

"Wow. I don't even know where to start." I chuckle nervously and shake my head as I tell him about my alcohol fueled actions. When my memory gets fuzzy, he is able to fill in most of the gaps.

"Me and Al were stopping in to get some wine on our way home from a get-together. When we got there, I noticed what I thought was your car parked across two parking spaces." Mercy returns and he stops. I nod for him to continue, so he does. "The driver door was open, and you were laying in the backseat with your bare foot hanging out of the window. The headlights were on, but the car wasn't. I looked in and saw you with your head resting on a bag with something in it. You were completely out of it, man. I pounded on your foot a few times, but you just weren't waking up. So, I drove you home while Alistair followed. We both carried you in and then dumped you in the bed. Alistair put the ice cream in the freezer."

I am completely embarrassed and ashamed. "How did you even know where I lived?"

Alistair provides that piece of information. "The parking permit on your windshield. It had the name of the complex and your unit number." We all sit in silence for several long moments.

She looks over at them. "Thank you both for getting him home safe." She grabs Alistair's hand as she kisses Spencer on the cheek. She then looks over and gives me a concerned look. "I'm so grateful you weren't hurt, babe and that you didn't hurt anyone else." I grab her other hand and squeeze it.

"I'm grateful for that as well." I nod at her and then turn my attention to both Spencer and Alistair. "I don't know what to say other than thank you. Thank you for looking out for me and thank you for getting me home safe."

"I don't think 'anytime' is an appropriate response because we truly hope it isn't a normal thing, but you're welcome Sam. You are part of our little clan now, so it comes with the territory." Alistair nods his head seemingly agreeing with Spencer and I nod in response.

The weight of that moment soon passes as we continue to eat and make small talk.

* * *

After we have all finished, we decide to play a game of volleyball with the losers having to clean up. After the game, the losers – Zack, Alistair, Daphne, Nicholas aka Carter and Joe have to clean while me, Mercy, Spencer, Ally and Victoria get to sit back and relax. I glance over and notice Mercy and Spencer on the swing whispering in each other's ears. She chuckles at something he said and then waves me over. Spencer stands and pats me on the back before going to join Ally on the trampoline.

"What's up beautiful?"

"Spencer was just telling me that Alistair needs to get some new friends."

"He doesn't care for them?"

"He said Joe is alright, but Daphne is clingy and whines about everything and Victoria is – and I quote – 'a real bitch' and he cannot wait until they go back to wherever they came from."

I chuckle. "He didn't say anything about Nicholas aka Carter?"

"No, they don't know him." She glances at her phone. "Wow, I cannot believe it's seven already. The kids need to be winding down and getting to bed soon for their first day of school tomorrow."

"Summer is officially over." I sit down next to her and wrap my arm around her shoulder. "Today was a great day baby. Despite the Nicholas aka Carter and Victoria stuff, I had a great time." She nestles into my chest causing my hand to move lower to rest on her ass.

"I did too, babe. Thanks for grilling. Everything was delicious."

"Any and everything for you Mercy." I kiss the top of her head and wrap my other arm around her to hold her. We sit there and enjoy our quiet time for several minutes. Her fingers lightly trail up and down my arm. All too soon, our quiet moment is interrupted. We stand as the others begin to approach us.

"Cedes, Sam, we are going to head out. Thanks for putting this together. I had a great time. Sam, you are a grill master and will be our go-to griller for any future cookouts!" Alistair shakes my hand and then hugs Mercy. Spencer does the same.

"Thanks for letting us crash. We had a good time." Joe shakes Mercy's hand first and then mine.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Mercy waves at Daphne and Victoria.

"Mercedes, it was great to see you again. I'll be in town until Wednesday if you want to grab lunch or something."

"Nicholas, I mean Carter, I don't think that would be a good idea, but it was good to see you again. Take care." She waves at him and I just turn my head away. Did he really think that she was going to agree to have a lunch date with him?

I turn and see Zack and Ally running into the house. "Zack! Don't get too comfortable. We will need to leave in about a half hour or so. School tomorrow."

"I know dad. We are just going to play Call of Duty until it's time to go."

"Alright." Mercy and I follow them into the house. She locks the back door and then we go into the living room. She plops down on the couch and looks up at me.

"I know it was just a barbeque but I'm exhausted. How can that be?"

"I know what you mean baby. I'm drained too. Entertaining is not as easy as one would think." I sit down next to her and wrap her up in my arms again. "I just want to sit here and hold you until it's time for us to go."

"I'd like that."

* * *

I wake up at the sound of Zack's voice. "Don't they look cute?" Ally giggles.

I open my eyes. "I guess we nodded off. What time is it?"

"Nine." I stretch and rub Mercy's arm to wake her. Her eyes pop open and she darts up.

"Oh my gosh. We fell asleep. What time is it?" We all laugh at her.

"Nine." I stand and stretch again. "I guess we were a bit more tired than we thought.

She nods and stretches. "Did you two have a good time today?"

"Yes, it was fun."

"Yeah, Spencer is like the coolest guy ever, I always have a good time when he is around." I clear my throat. "Coolest next to you dad of course." He chuckles.

"Of course." I chuckle back at him. "You ready to head out Zack attack?"

"Yep. See you Ally-Oop, text me tomorrow."

"I will. Night Sam. I'm tired so I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

"Night sweetie. I hope you have a good day tomorrow." She gives me a quick hug.

"Thanks." Ally heads up the stairs and Mercy walks us to the door. She gives Zack a hug, kisses him on the cheek and then he starts his walk to the car.

"Night baby. I'll talk to you tomorrow." I pull her to me and kiss her lips softly. "Do you realize it's been several hours since I last kissed you. And I also just realized we never got to round two again."

She giggles. "No, we didn't."

"It's OK. We will have to make up for that on Thursday." I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

"Looking forward to it. Drive safe babe."

"I will, beautiful. Good night."

"Night." She gives me another quick kiss and then I turn and sprint to the car. I wave at her before I climb in and then wait for her to close the door before backing out of the driveway.


	8. The Quiet Before the Storm

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Tuesday September 8th

After seeing Zack off to school and getting myself into the office, I am seated at my desk looking over my schedule for the day, when I hear a chime from my phone.

_**Morning Sammy. Wanted to know if you would be free for lunch tomorrow.**_

I rapidly blink my eyes as I re-read the text. Is she really going to start this again? As if on cue, my conscious starts gnawing at me. I don't want to engage at all, but maybe if I respond to her with a polite no thank you, she will accept, and move on with her day. Grumbling, I shake my head. I know it's wishful thinking as soon as I start typing. She will just continue to send messages whether I respond or not. I'm just surprised that she didn't contact me at all for the entire weekend. When I think about that fact, I quickly nod my head and send the message.

_**Thanks for the invite but I am not available.**_

There. My message wasn't snide or hateful. It just told her that I am not free for lunch. I move to sit the phone back down and pat myself on the back, but another message arrives.

_**What day would work for you?**_

Great. I groan and try to think of another nice way to decline.

_**I'm not available.**_

Not the best response but oh well.

_**How about dinner then? I can be flexible you know that ;-)**_

_**What ever day or night that works for you.**_

Why did I even respond in the first place? I already know how this is going to play out. She is going to say that we need to discuss Zack. And that would work, if there was really something to discuss. I am not doing this with her. I need to get on with my day. Here goes nothing.

_**Actually, there aren't any days or nights that work for me. I am not interested in having lunch or dinner with you - EVER.**_

That's going to set her off, but there was no other way for me to say it and make her believe it. I just need her to understand that I am not interested.

_**You can't even have a meal with me?**_

_**Not even to discuss our son.**_

She knows that mentioning Zack is the only way to make me take notice. It's become her go-to reason for reaching out to me. And she knows it means that I will respond to her. It momentarily keeps my attention on her, and gets me to ask the one question I'm sure she knows I will.

_**What do we need to discuss?**_

_**A lot.**_

And there it is. I'm done dealing with her today.

_**I've got to get back to work. Have a good day.**_

I place my phone down on the desk and tune out the incessant chiming. I guess it was a mistake to respond to her in the first place. But then, my conscious decides to get involved again, and that gets me to wondering. Am I being an asshole about this? What's the harm in having lunch with her? If it will keep her off my back, then I should consider it, but lunch tomorrow is definitely not going to happen. Wednesdays are my days to have lunch with Mercy. I'll think about it some more. I am still hesitant to agree to it because I know she will read more into it. I think about Mercy and Spencer and how they are able to have a great relationship despite their divorce. I'm envious of them. I wish I could have a relationship with her like that, but in order for us to do that, she will have to get all thoughts of a reunion out of her head. How can I get her to understand that I don't want to be with her again? That's the key. I make a mental note to talk more with Mercy about it. Surely she can give me some pointers. My office phone beeps interrupting my current thoughts. I gaze over and see that it is Harriett. "Yes Harriett?"

"Mr. Evans, the other Mr. Evans is here to see you."

"Jon?"

"Yes, sir."

"OK, show him in please." I hang up the phone and stand to greet him. The door opens and Harriett ushers him into my office. "Jon, how are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, same old, same old." I walk around my desk to shake his hand, and nod at Harriett.

"How are Karen and the girls?" We each take a seat in one of the armchairs positioned in front of my desk.

"Doing fine. I'm so glad summer vacation is over. If I had to watch another Disney movie, my head was going to explode." We both chuckle at his statement. "How's Zachary?"

"He's doing really well. He experienced a small growth spurt this past summer, and he just started his freshman year at Wallingsford."

"Time sure does fly."

"Yes, it does." I chuckle and nod. "So, what's up?"

"NG Tollins."

I lean forward in my chair. "You finally got a meeting?"

"I did better than that. We have been invited to a soiree at Davison Tollins' ranch to discuss the possibility. If the price is right Sam, I swear I think he will accept our offer on the spot. He's itching to retire."

"That's great news Jon. So, when is this party?"

"Tonight, in Dallas. I know it is last minute, but his office finally called me back about fifteen minutes ago. I could go alone but I know he is expecting the both of us."

"I'll be there. I'll just have to make arrangements for Zack to stay with his mother."

"Good. It starts at seven, Dallas time. I'll call Arnold to get the jet ready to go. I've got several meetings tomorrow so I figure we can spend the night in Dallas and then be back here tomorrow morning."

"OK." I quickly try to remember any meetings early tomorrow morning. "I have a meeting with the principal at Wallingsford at nine tomorrow morning. I really don't want to reschedule it, but I will if necessary."

"What's that about?

"He's hoping for a donation to renovate the school's auditorium."

"Well you got to give him credit for being upfront about it."

"Oh, I do. I just hope he comes prepared."

He scoots up to the edge of the chair, readying himself to stand. "Alright then. I've got a meeting to get ready for now. I'll make sure we are back by eight and I'll have Sherry make our hotel reservations. With meetings today, I could be ready to go by four. Will you be ready by then?"

"Let me check." I stand to grab the printed copy of today's schedule from my desk, and then return to my seat as I look down at it. "I have a meeting at four, so that won't work. Let's make it six. With the time difference we should still make it there by five."

"Works for me." He finally stands and I do the same. "I'll let you get back to it. See you on the jet."

"See you then." We shake hands, and he leaves, as I walk back around my desk to sit. I pick up my cell phone to text Zack.

_**Call me when you get a minute**_

The phone rings almost immediately and I see that it is him. "Hey son, I hope you are between classes."

"I am. What's up?"

"I have to fly to Dallas tonight with Jon for a business meeting. Do you want to stay at the house with the staff or with your mother?"

"Can I stay with Cedes?"

"You want to stay with Mercedes?"

"Yes, if she will let me."

"OK, I'll check with her but if you can't stay with her, where do you want to stay?"

"At the house."

"OK, I'll text you once I've talked to Mercedes."

"OK. Love you, bye."

"Love you too."

I then send Mercy a quick text.

_**Hey baby, you busy**_

_**Hey you, no just reading email**_

I call her. "Hey, good morning."

"Good morning darlin'. How are you today?"

"I'm great. How are you?"

"I'm great as well. Ally get off to school OK this morning?"

"She did. Zack?"

"He did too."

"Good to hear."

"OK Baby, I won't keep you too long, but I just got word that I've got to fly to Dallas tonight for a last-minute business meeting."

"Oh, OK. When will you be back?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Oh, so just overnight. When are you leaving?"

"Six."

"OK. Do you need me to do anything for Zack while you are gone?"

"That's actually why I called. I talked to him a few moments ago and he would like to stay overnight with you. I told him I didn't know if that was possible but that I would ask."

"Oh, I would love to have him, but it may be too hurried in the morning trying to get both him and Ally to school on time."

"You wouldn't have to take him to school. My friend Tony can drop him at your place after school and then pick him up in the morning."

"Well then absolutely he can stay."

"You sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure."

"Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome."

"Talk later."

"OK."

* * *

Settled on the jet, Jonathan and I take the time to catch up with each other. I tell him all about Mercy and Ally. I make tentative plans for her and I to have dinner with him and his wife. I also share news of my ex's nonsense. He tells me that she also paid him a visit before I banned her from the building. "She came in and asked me a barrage of questions about you and if you were seeing anyone."

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth. That I didn't know because I didn't. After that, she said that she was on a mission to get you back, and that I should help her. She's a real nutcase Sam. To be honest, I don't know what you ever saw in her."

"It's like she has completely forgotten that I want nothing to do with her. I've told her so many times, in just the last few days, that she is only still in my life because she is Zack's mother. But she just doesn't get it. She's started off by dropping by two days in a row. Then she started sending deliveries. She sent seven in one day. Now she's texting. She texted this morning asking to meet for lunch. If I thought that it would be a simple friendly lunch, I would go, however, it's more than that to her. Mercy and her ex-husband have this amazing relationship. I just wish we could have something like that, but she is still holding onto the past."

"I've got to say it again man. I don't know what possessed you to marry her in the first place."

"Young, dumb, and in love with the wrong woman, but that ship has sailed."

"So, do you have any pictures of your new lady?"

"Of course I do." I unlock my phone, open the photos, and then hand it over to him.

"Wow! She's really beautiful man." He swipes through the pictures. "You lucky S-O-B you. How the hell did you get her?"

"Thanks, and I was just my usual charming self." He punches me in the arm, and I laugh. "Here's one of all four of us."

"Man, you all look so happy together. I'm happy for you Sam, and I can't wait to meet them."

* * *

After arriving in Dallas and getting checked into the hotel, I take a shower and then get dressed for the party. I glance over at the clock and see that it is nearly 7:30, so I decide to give them a call before leaving, in hopes that they haven't already gone to bed.

"Hey baby. How's it going?"

"Great, the kids are getting ready for bed now, and I just finished cleaning the kitchen. How's Dallas?"

"Lonely without you. Can I say good night to the kids?"

"Of course, I'll put you on speaker." It is quiet for a split second. "You there?"

"I'm here."

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Sam."

"Hey you two. I just wanted to say good night. I'm bummed that I didn't get to attend our first-ever sleepover, but next time you won't be able to keep me away. I hope you both have a good day at school tomorrow."

"Thanks Dad. Love you, good night"

"Thanks Sam. Hope you have a good day too. Night."

"OK, I'm here."

"I really am bummed that I couldn't be there with you guys. I'm also kind of jealous that Zack gets to sleep over at your house before I do."

"Aww, poor baby. Well, why don't we plan a sleep over? Like maybe instead of leaving after dinner on Thursday? Since you will be cooking for us, and I know you will make a mess in my kitchen, you two should just stay the night. That way you will have plenty of time to clean up." She chuckles.

"You mean that's the only reason you want me to stay the night? You sure know how to hurt a guy, beautiful."

"Oh, you're so dramatic. But babe, I can already see you, and my kitchen floor and counters, covered in flour." I hear the smile in her voice, and then the snicker.

"Nonsense!"

She giggles. "Please, you know I'm right."

"I so disagree with you, beautiful. Just you watch, not a drop of flour on me, your precious kitchen floor, or your precious kitchen counters."

"Oh really?" There is a slight edge in her words. "Care to make a bet, mister?"

"Oh, this conversation just keeps getting better and better. Place your bet baby." I smile as I wait for her answer.

"OK, let's see here." She thinks for a few moments. "OK, so, I won't be totally unreasonable about it, since flour is one of those things that just seems to get on everything. So, let's say, if it takes you more than thirty minutes to clean, you owe me a one-hour foot rub."

I am quick to accept. "Deal, and if I clean up in less than thirty minutes, I get to give you a one-hour full body massage." She walked right into my trap.

"You are such a pervert babe. You are supposed to get something out of the bet."

"I'm _your_ pervert. And believe me I am getting the most out of this bet. You see, regardless of the outcome, I get to put my hands on you. It's really a win-win for me. Now, do we have a deal?"

"Deal." She laughs.

I cannot contain my excitement. "Oh baby, I am looking that much more forward to Thursday night now. And even before you start the argument, I'm sleeping in your bed."

"Sam." There is the hint of a whine in her voice, and I know she is rolling her eyes at this exact moment.

"Not up for discussion, Mercy. I'll behave, I promise."

"OK."

"Good. Well, I'll let you get to bed baby. I miss you so much. Sleep tight."

"I miss you too babe. Have a good time tonight. Night."

"Thanks, and I'll try. Night Mercy."


	9. And Then This Happened

**Hello Everyone,**

**I know I indicated previously that Sam's ex-wife's identity was coming in chapter 8, but I neglected to take the Prologue into account. Sorry for the confusion. Her identity is revealed in this chapter. Both Sam's and Mercedes' POVs are present in this chapter as well.**

**Thanks for the favs and follows and please review if you have a moment. I'm truly new to this, so would like to hear what you all think.**

**Be Safe and Stay Healthy!**

**I do not own Glee or its characters**

* * *

Wednesday September 9th

**Part I**

**(SAM POV)**

After a successful night in Dallas, Jonathan and I are at the airport waiting to board the jet. I decide to give Mercy a call while we wait. "Good morning beautiful."

"Hey babe. You back already?"

"No, we are at the Dallas airport, waiting to board now. Tony get Zack to school OK?"

"As far as I know he did. They left about five minutes before me and Ally. Tony seems really nice. How long have you known him?"

"About four years, I guess. He's a good guy."

"And he's cute too."

"Um, you didn't let me finish. Yes, he's a good guy, but he has a bad case of herpes and horrible B.O. Plus, I think he might be a serial killer. You would never be happy with him. Trust me, I know."

"Really? And you trust him with Zack."

"Shit, I didn't think of that. Look, he's not cute, I'm cute. Just me, nobody else." She giggles. "OK, OK, maybe he is, but I'm way cuter and you only want me, right?" There is a very long pause. Too long. "Right Mercy?"

"You make it so easy sometimes babe."

"Don't do that! You've got my heartbeat racing woman." Her laughter rings out over the phone. I stand there and wait for her cackling to stop. Too many seconds later, it finally subsides. "I'm just so glad you are enjoying yourself at my expense. Where are you baby?"

"Well, I just dropped Ally off at school and now I'm driving to work. Are we still on for lunch today?"

"Of course. I have a meeting at 10:30 that should last about an hour and then I'll be there. And just because you nearly gave me a heart attack, lunch is on you today."

"OK, OK, lunch is my treat."

"It's the least you can do for almost causing me to keel over."

"And there he is, Mr. Dramatic himself." She snickers. "I did miss you babe."

"Oh, I missed you too Mercy. So much. I told my cousin all about you and he is very anxious to meet you."

"Your cousin? He went with you?"

"Yes, we work for the same company."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Well, it's good to know you weren't on your own. Everything go alright?"

"Yes, everything went very well." I look over and see Jonathan waving to me. "I'm sorry baby. I've got to go. We are ready to board. I just wanted to hear your voice, even with the evil things you said to me."

"Oh stop it."

"Can we pick this conversation up at lunch?"

"Of course. Have a safe flight. I'll see you at the bistro."

"See you then beautiful."

* * *

The 4:30 AM departure time leads to both Jonathan and I sleeping the entire flight back to Atlanta. We arrive a little before eight and then go back to the office. "As soon as I get the contracts from Tollins, I'll bring them over so we can read through them with legal before signing. Good job on closing the deal Sam."

"Thanks man, but it was definitely a team effort. The dads will be happy to hear about this one for sure."

"No doubt. See you in a few."

"See you Jon."

We exit the main elevator. He heads to the left where his office is located, and I head to the right. I speak to Harriet as I enter the double glass doors. "Morning Harriet."

"Good morning Mr. Evans. Did you have a nice trip?"

"I did. It was successful. We should be closing our deal to buy NG Tollins by the end of the day."

"That's wonderful news sir. Congratulations!"

"Thanks Harriet. E&E will be coast to coast in no time."

"Have you shared the news with your father yet?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting for the contract to be reviewed by legal and signed by me and Jon before I tell him. He's going to be thrilled."

"Yes, he will. Can I get you some coffee before your meeting?"

"Yes, please."

I settle at my desk and wait for Zack's principal, Mr. Williams, to arrive. A couple of minutes later, Harriet knocks, delivers my coffee and then leaves. I take a few sips and as I do, my thoughts go where they always do – to Mercy. I've decided. Today is the day. I'm going to tell her everything at lunch today. I feel good about it. The brief phone call with her and the kids last night, and then with her this morning gave me all the right feelings. No more holding back. It's time. No more staying at the apartment. If things go like I am hoping, Mercy and Ally will be visiting the estate tonight. Zack will be thrilled, and life can finally return to normal. Most importantly, I can tell her that I love her, and we can start planning our future together. I smile and pick up my phone to send her a quick message.

_**Just thinking of you. See you at lunch**_

My smile widens at her response.

_**Thinking of you too. See you then**_

My desk phone beeps. "Yes Harriet?"

"Mr. Evans, Mr. Williams from Wallingsford High School is here."

"Show him in, please."

I stand as a knock sounds on my door. "Come in." Mr. Williams enters my office and I nod at Harriet as she closes the door. "Good morning, Mr. Williams. I trust you made it here without issue." His appearance is nothing like I imagined it to be. I was expecting someone older, but he appears to be my age or maybe a few years older. His dark navy suit is neat and tidy, and the shine of his shoes is almost blinding. He glances at his watch and I notice the thick-slated gold band. I reach over to shake his hand as he nears the front on my desk.

He reaches forward and takes my out-stretched hand. "Good morning, Mr. Evans and yes, no issues at all. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me."

Releasing our hands, I gesture for him to have a seat. As he settles in the chair, I notice he appears to have come into this meeting completely empty handed. That's a red flag. "So, tell me about your plans for renovating the auditorium."

"Well, as you know, JC Wallingsford High School is a small private academic institution that specializes in the sciences. And while we have an unmatched curriculum when it comes to the sciences, we also offer a vast amount of extra-curricular activities to help foster an appreciation of the arts. Those activities include marching and concert bands, orchestra and choir, in addition to several clubs. For most of these groups, we will need a space large enough to allow them to hold performances and other assemblies. Currently, the fire code for the auditorium limits capacity at a maximum of 553 persons. As of this morning, our enrollment has reached 497. Even with our graduating seniors, our enrollment has steadily grown each year for the past three years, at a rate between twelve and fifteen percent overall."

"That's impressive growth Mr. Williams. I can agree that it sounds like there is some definite work needed on the school's auditorium. However, I was expecting details on renovating the current space, and any donation I would make for that reason, would be as a private citizen. With what you have shared, it sounds like what you are looking to do is an expansion. Those are two very different undertakings. With the current space and the anticipated growth, the type of funds needed could easily reach into the corporate sponsorship arena."

"Forgive me, if I misunderstood, but don't you own this company?"

"My family does. However, our corporate strategy department would be the resource engaged to handle any type of expansion requests. And to be honest with you, I'm not sure you want an auditorium or any other apparatus at your school associated with our adult beverage products. Our name attached to the auditorium surely wouldn't garner the right kind of attention."

He nervously glances down at his watch and nods his head as his lips frown in defeat. He offers a handshake as he stands. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Evans."

"It's quite alright Mr. Williams. Good luck." I shake his hand and then he turns to leave.

As he exits, my desk phone beeps. "Yes Harriet."

"The other Mr. Evans, Mr. Reece and Mr. Walters are here to see you."

"Send them in, thank you."

* * *

After the contracts are signed, congratulatory handshakes are exchanged and the dads are called, I take a seat at my desk and ready myself for my 10:30 conference call. I make a quick dash over to the small refrigerator in the corner of my office and grab a bottle of water. On the way back to my desk, my cell phone rings. I pick it up and see 'Unknown' displayed on the screen. I hesitate for a second but then answer it.

A robotic voice greets me. "November 27th." Then the call immediately disconnects, and I am left staring at my phone. What the hell does that mean? The date doesn't hold any significance for me. In my mind, I go through the birthdays of my mom, dad, brother and sister. It's not my birthday or Mercy's. It's not Zack or Ally's. It's not Harriet's. It's not the dreaded day I married the witch. I try to think of any remotely important event associated with that date but come up empty. I'm not going to waste time thinking about it. I just chalk it up as a wrong number.

A few minutes later, I receive an alert on my computer notifying me that it's time for my meeting. I push all thoughts of the 'robo-call' out of my head and connect to the call.

* * *

**Part II**

**(MERCEDES POV)**

I settle back at my desk after returning from our weekly staff meeting. I shake my head and chuckle. I haven't a clue about what was discussed because I was not listening. I cannot seem to keep my mind focused on anything but Sam these days. I've been waiting for weeks for him to tell me how he feels about me. I think he loves me, but until he says it, I can't assume. I know I love him. I started falling in love with him when we first met. I smile as I think back to that day in June. I felt his eyes on me while we waited in line to register the kids for band camp. I'm almost certain that he was searching for me after he and Zack entered the stadium. And I would bet money that he bumped into me purposely so that he could offer me a ride to my hotel. His shameless flirting when we had dinner, and then dancing in his room during our night cap. And that was just the beginning. Everything that we have gone through from then until now, has just made me love him even more. Even the craziness of his memory/dream. If I can forgive him for that foolishness, I can probably forgive him for anything. My phone chimes and I smile instantly. I pick it up to read the message that he just sent.

_**Just thinking of you. See you at lunch**_

I send a quick reply.

_**Thinking of you too. See you then**_

I place my phone back down on my desk as the smile on my face widens. He always has that effect on me. He is so thoughtful, and charming, and funny, and handsome, and sexy. I snicker as I think about his antics this morning. I should have kept him going a little longer. I can only imagine the look on his face when I told him I thought that Tony was cute. I guess he just doesn't know. I only have eyes for him. No one makes my heartbeat race like he does. No one makes me smile like he does. And no one stands a chance at taking his place in my heart. My love for him just grows deeper as the days pass. I don't know how much longer I can take not knowing how he feels about me. I shake my head to try and clear my thoughts. I've got to snap out of this daze and at least attempt to look busy. I wake up my computer monitor and check my inbox. I see that several new messages have arrived, so I click on the first one and begin reading. Hopefully this will be enough to keep me focused until lunch time.

* * *

I look at the digital clock display on the dashboard and decide to give my mom a call as I drive to meet Sam. It's been a few days since I talked with her. I press the hands-free button on my steering wheel and speak when prompted. "Call mom's work." The interior speakers reverberate with the sound of the phone ringing, and then it stops.

"EJ's House of Designs, how can I help you?

"Hi Carla, it's Mercedes. Is my mom around?"

"Hey, Cedes girl. She's just finishing up with a client. Do you want to hold, or do you want me to have her call you back?"

"I can hold. How are you?"

"Oh, you know me. Breaking hearts and taking names. How about you?"

"Not the heartbreaker you are, but I'm doing well."

"Good, good. And how's little Miss Ally?"

"Not so little anymore. She'll be fourteen in a few weeks."

"Shut up!" I laugh at her outburst. "Girl you gon' make your momma fire me. She's giving me 'the look' now, you know the one." I hear Carla's muffled voice apologize in the background. "I can't believe she's already a teenager. Wow. Hang on a second." The line fills with orchestral music for a few seconds and then she returns. "OK, Cedes. Your mom's free now. I'm going to transfer you. Make sure you stop in the next time you're in town."

"I will. Thanks Carla."

Music fills the line again and then my mom picks up. "Hi baby girl. This is a surprise. Everything OK?"

"Hi momma. Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to check in with you since it's been a few days. "How are you and daddy?"

"Well, I'm fabulous as always and your daddy is as stubborn as ever. How's my Ally?"

"She's great mom. And you know as well as I do, daddy is never going to change."

"I know honey, but I can always hope, right. Anyway, when are you coming to visit? It's been too long May." They will never stop calling me that. And it's all because I always asked them for something by saying, 'Mommy may I,' or 'Daddy may I,' when I was a kid.

"I don't know for sure, but I promise to find time between now and Ally's birthday. And you and daddy are always welcome to come visit us here too."

"You know, we were actually talking about doing just that a few days ago. What do you think of having Thanksgiving at your house this year?"

"Are you serious? I think that would be wonderful!"

"Good. Well, we'll hammer down some plans once November rolls around. So, what's going on with you? Anyone special in your life yet?"

I knew she was going to ask. She always does, but this time, I'm going to come clean. I take a deep breath. "Actually, yes there is. His name is Sam, and I met him when I took Ally to band camp this past summer."

"Oh May. You're in love."

"How can you just jump to that conclusion?"

"Please child, this is your mother you're talking to, and if there is one thing I know about my only daughter, it's when she is in love. And you my dear, are in love. And I couldn't be happier!"

I smile, because she's right. She knows me like the back of her hand. "Thanks momma, and I am. I love him so much."

"So, tell me about him? What does he do for a living? Has he been married before? Does he have any children?"

"He is a senior exec for a company here in Atlanta and he has one son, Zachary, who just turned fourteen a couple of weeks ago. He's divorced. Momma, he is such a great person. The four of us spend a lot of time together, and have had dinner together every Thursday night since we met. The kids get along great. Ally likes him and Zack is adorable. We've even spent time with Spencer and Alistair. I mean everything has just fallen into place."

"But?" I stay silent for a few seconds. "I know there is a 'but' in there somewhere. What is it May?"

"He has never told me how he feels about me.'

"Have you told him?"

"No, I've been waiting for him to tell me."

"OK." She pauses. "Why?"

"Fear that he doesn't feel the same way I do."

"Oh May. Take the leap. Tell him how you feel." We are both silent for a bit, then she clears her throat. "Let me ask you this. If he doesn't say it back, will you break up with him?"

"What? No!"

"What will you do?"

"I don't know. Truth is, I cannot imagine my life without him in it."

"Then tell him that. I know you baby girl, and I know you are ready to take the next step with this man. You just have to get past this hurdle of who said it first."

"How do you know I am ready to take the next step?"

"Again, please. I'm your mother. I know these things. I know that you keep those relationships you cherish the most to yourself, until you feel like it's time to take the next step. You did the exact same thing with Spencer, and then with Trevor, and now with this Sam."

"I just don't want to jinx it."

"I know baby girl. Needless to say, I am thrilled for you and can't wait to meet him."

"Thanks mom."

"Sure. Well, I hate to cut our talk off here May, but I've got to head out to meet a potential client. Tell him. Give my Ally a kiss for me."

"Kiss dad for me too. Love you."

"I will, and love you too May. Tell him. Bye."

"Real subtle mom. Bye."

I end the call and shake my head. I think it is safe to say that she thinks that I should tell him. A moment later, I arrive at the bistro, park and turn off the ignition. As I exit my car, a smile spreads across my face. For the first time ever, I'm going to take my mom's advice. I'm going to tell him.

* * *

Seated on the patio at our favorite table at Pandillo's bistro, I drum my fingers on the crisp white tablecloth as the waiter sets a glass of sweet tea on the table in front of me. "Are you ready to order ma'am?"

"Not just yet. My lunch date is fashionably late as usual." He nods and smiles as he walks away. I unwrap my straw and drop it into the glass. As I lift the glass to bring the straw to my lips, my phone rings. I place the glass back onto the table and smile as I answer.

"Hi there."

"Hey beautiful. How are you?"

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Much better now. My meeting just wrapped up which means that I am on my way to you. Ten minutes tops."

"OK. I'll be here. See you soon."

"See you soon baby."

I grin as I end the call and sit the phone back down on the table to take a sip of my tea. Sitting the glass back on the table, I pick up my phone and pull up my email. Might as well get a little work done while I wait for him. I pull up the first one, read it and then tap the reply icon to respond. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit?" I look up from my phone to find an attractive woman staring back at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm waiting for someone." I try to wave her off and re-focus my eyes back on my phone.

"This will only take a minute." She pulls out the chair across from me and sits down placing her purse and a folder on the table in front of her. A slight look of amusement is displayed on her face.

I eye her as she appears to get comfortable at the table. "Do I know you?"

"No, but we have an acquaintance in common."

I regard her cautiously and then decide I'll humor this exchange for a few minutes more. "Oh, and who would that be?"

"Sam Evans." At the mention of his name my heart drops a little.

"How do you know Sam?"

"Let's not worry about that at the moment but now that I have your attention I know you have been spending a lot of time with him and I'm sure you've had your fun but it's time for you to disappear." I still as I place my phone on the table in front of me.

"Excuse me?"

"Sam is not serious about you. I mean how could he be when he could have me? So here is what is going to happen. You are going to cease all communication with him immediately."

Is this bitch for real? "I don't know who you think you are-"

"I'm the only one who really matters to him, so like I said you are going to stop all communication with him today, right now in fact."

"And if I don't?"

"Trust me, you will. Or else-"

"Or else what?" Try me trick, just try me.

"Or else I'll have to make your life very uncomfortable."

Yeah, this conversation is over. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you are but you need to back the hell up and get out of my face."

"Listen sistah, Sam is mine. We had a misunderstanding which led to us being apart but we are on the mend and I don't need you interfering. So you are going to remove your desperate ass from his life."

"Desperate? You call me desperate but from where I am sitting it looks like there is only one thirsty chick at this table and I am looking at her. Now like I said, you need to get out of my face because you know nothing about me!" She smirks at me as she picks up the folder and opens it.

"Mercedes Catreece Porter, maiden name is Jones – age 36 divorced mother of one daughter Allyson Marie Porter, Ally for short, age 14. She attends Donaldson Academy. You live in Buckhead, in a quaint two-story three-bedroom house. You work for Rose and Potts, a marketing firm in Midtown. Your parents, Jeremy and Eliza Jones live in a small town in Kentucky, called Shelbyville, which is your hometown in fact. Dr. Jones is a prominent dentist in the area and your mother is an interior designer. Your brother Michael is a firefighter in Chicago." As she speaks, my heart drops and I instinctively bite down on my lower lip. She pauses and I watch as her eyes scan over the contents of the folder. She then slowly shakes her head as she continues. "He's had several near-death experiences, I'd hate for his hazardous work to result in his untimely demise, wouldn't you? Now your ex-husband, Spencer Porter also aged 36, owns an art gallery in Midtown. He now 'bats for the other team' as they say. He and his partner Alistair Gables live in Inman Park. They haven't really experienced any bashing behind their sexual orientation but that could definitely change." As she continues to spew off the details of everyone who matters to me, my face goes slack and my eyes remain glued to the folder. Who is this woman and why is my dating Sam a cause for her to come after me and my family like this?

My eyes dart down to the fidgeting fingers in my lap as a knot forms in the pit of my stomach and I feel myself becoming dizzy. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're right, I haven't properly introduced myself, I'm Sam's wife. I'm Marley Rose Evans. Oh, and the Rose is of Rose and Potts. Leonard Rose is my doting dad."

So that's it. She wants Sam back and I am in the way. "You're Sam's ex-wife."

"For the moment, but that is simply a technicality."

"You cannot stop me from being with him."

"Sure I can. Besides, you are just a phase anyway. He and I used to talk about our fetishes all the time. He has always had a fascination with black women, but he was always shy about approaching any of them. He also has always been somewhat of a chubby chaser. I thought I had cured him of that, but seems he is reverting to his old playboy days. See back in college, he had a harem full of you big girls. They never meant more to him than a good time. But with you, it seems that he's killed two birds with one stone, wouldn't you agree? I mean how serious could he be about you anyway? You're simply a phase dear. The break-up of our marriage has caused him to act out, so to speak, but like I said, he is finally snapping out of the fog that he has been in since our divorce. Just do everyone a favor and bow out gracefully. Sam is high society, a billionaire for god's sake! What the hell do you have to offer him? I mean look at you. You could never be seen on his arm. You belong in the kitchen with the help. How much could he care about you if you haven't even been to the mansion?" She brings her right hand up and examines her manicure, as I let her words cut deep into me. I feel her eyes on me again, but I cannot bring myself to look up and meet her gaze. "So again, I can make your life very uncomfortable. One call to my dad and you're unemployed and then blacklisted. And that's just the beginning. Honey, I have a lot of friends in low places. One call, and your ex-husband and his fudge packing partner are spending a few weeks in the hospital. One call and your brother meets his untimely demise. Do I need to go on?" I look up at her as she pauses, drops the folder on the table, leans forward and glares at me with that same smirk painted on her face. "No? Good. Well, I really do have to be going." She scoots her chair back from the table as she stands and slides her purse onto her shoulder. Then she picks up the folder. "Remember what I said _Mercy_. All contact stops as of right now." She raises her arm, glances down at her watch and then back at me. "If I see any form of communication from you to him after September 9th at 11:47 AM, life as you know it will be over. You'd be surprised how easy it is to spy on someone's electronic communications, all without their consent or knowledge." She pauses and looks down at me with an even more devious smirk. "Have a great lunch darling. Watch those carbs!"

When she walks away, my eyes stay trained on the seat she just vacated. My thoughts race. How am I supposed to respond to her threat? Was she serious? I can't be sure. I know absolutely nothing about the person she is, or how powerful she may be. I wouldn't even know how to find out if she's really capable of following through on the long list of hurt she threatened me with. All of it, all because she wants me to stop dating Sam. No, not just dating him. She wants me to stop all communication with him. The more I think about it the more I think she is just blowing smoke, but can I risk it? And he's a billionaire? Why is he hiding _that_ from me? Do I really know this man that I have fallen in love with? How does she know he calls me Mercy? I know she was trying to get under my skin with that fetish bullshit. And if she is giving me crap about that, could all of her threats, be just her way of scaring me away from him? What am I supposed to do with all this? And then fear surges through me. She knows where I live. Ally. Oh my god! Is she really going to hurt Ally if I don't stop communicating with Sam? As much as I love him, I just cannot take the chance. Not until I know more. No, there is no way I can risk it. I'm so sorry Sam. I blink my eyes a few times to allow the pooled tears to roll down my cheeks, as I pull my wallet from my purse. I pull out a five-dollar bill and place it on the table. As I stand to exit the bistro, my waiter re-appears.

"Are you alright miss?"

I wipe my tears haphazardly and offer him a timid smile. "Yes, I am fine, but I have to go." I turn to leave, but then stop and turn to face him again. "Could you tell my lunch date when he arrives, that I said…" The words get caught in my throat.

"I'm sorry miss?"

Tears spring to my eyes again. It hurts to even think it, let alone say it, but I have to muster all of the courage I have to do just that. "Tell him I said goodbye."

His confused stare meets my eyes as he regards me for a few seconds before slowly blinking. "Yes, of course." He nods at me, the sadness in his eyes mirroring mine. I offer him a small smile before turning and exiting the patio gate through a sea of fresh tears.

**A/N: There was a hint to the ex-wife's identity hiding in plain sight in the Prologue (which is included in this chapter as well).**


	10. First Impressions

**Song credit - Sweet Thing by Chaka Khan**

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Thursday September 10th

"Mercy, baby. Please open the door. Please tell me what's wrong? Why are you shutting me out like this? What did I do? Whatever it is, please let me make it right."

"Go away Sam."

"No, I won't. Baby please let me see your face. I miss you so much. I'm dying here. Please let me in baby. At least tell me what I did."

"Sam, please." I hear her sniffles and it almost breaks me. "Please just leave."

"Mercedes… No. I need you. I need you baby. Please talk to me. What's the matter? You won't talk to me and I don't understand why. You ignored all my text messages and phone calls last night. Baby please tell me why. Don't shut me out like this."

"I can't see you anymore." I hear her inhale sharply, and then hear more sniffles.

"Why?"

"It just won't work."

"Really? Because it has been working beautifully. What's going on? Mercy I am not going to just walk away from you. I cannot do it. If I have to come back here every day just to talk to you through this door, I will. I will talk to you through this door if that is the only way I get to hear your voice. For as long as it takes beautiful. I'll always come back here. Back to you. You're in my heart. You ARE my heart. Mercy, please talk to me…..please don't do this."

"Goodbye Sam."

"No, Mercy." I close my eyes and feel the tears roll down my cheeks. I was so focused on getting her to talk to me and telling her that I am not going anywhere, that I didn't realize the tear steadily building in my eyes. I wipe them away quickly and then re-focus on the door. "Mercy, no. Please talk to me."

Silence screams from the other side of the door. I place my ear to the door to determine if she is still on the other side. Why is this happening? I replay our last phone conversation in my head. Everything was fine. I told her I would be at the bistro in ten minutes and she said she would be there, but when I arrived there was no sign of her. I went straight to our table on the patio and sat down thinking that she had went off to the ladies room. I sat there for several minutes not really thinking that anything was wrong. Then the waiter approached the table and informed me that she had left, that's when I knew there was something wrong. I grabbed my phone and repeatedly called her, but the call went directly to voice mail. As I continued to re-dial her number, he told me that she told him to tell me goodbye. I asked him what that meant, and he just shrugged, then let me know that she was upset when she left, and that she had been crying. When I heard those words, I felt an immediate pain in my chest. I dashed out of the bistro and drove directly here, only to find that she was not here. I continued to call and sent text messages repeatedly but there wasn't any type of response. The phone calls were going directly to voice mail and none of the text messages appeared to have been read. I then called her office number only to be told that she had taken the rest of the day off. I stayed in front of her house until nightfall before reluctantly driving to the apartment.

The night was sleepless for me. I continually called and sent her text messages throughout the evening only to be met with no response. At my wits end, I called her office again this morning only to be informed that she wasn't in today. That information resulted in my showing up here again this morning to find her car in the driveway. I close my eyes and place both of my hands against the door willing her to open it.

After five minutes of continued silence, I lower my left arm and glance down at my watch to find out the time. Fuck! I've got a meeting soon that I cannot miss. "Baby, I don't know what the hell is going on, but this isn't over Mercy. I'll talk to you later. Have a good day beautiful."

I slowly walk back to my car and open the door. I lean against the roof of the car and pause to look up at her house, hoping for any type of anything. After a few moments of no movement or change, I pound my fist against the roof and then climb into my car, slamming the door behind me. As I drive away my thoughts go back to the first time I saw her.

* * *

_**********FLASHBACK Sunday June 7__th__**********_

"_Dad can we go to Dave and Buster's after I get registered?" We are standing in one of the two lines formed in front of a table to register him for a week-long band camp._

"_Sure Zack attack, as long as you are allowed to leave, but I don't think you will be able to. If you can't leave, I'll take you before we head back home at the end of the week." _

"_Don't call me that here dad. It's embarrassing."_

"_Oh, sorry. Forgive me." I smirk at him as he rolls his eyes at me. I look over and see a woman with what I assume is her daughter laughing in the other line. Her back is to me and man what a view! As the two continue conversing, the woman turns her head and I inhale audibly. She's gorgeous. Zack looks over at me._

"_You OK Dad?"_

_I reluctantly pull my eyes away from her. "Yeah buddy, I'm fine." He focuses back on his phone as my eyes go back to her. She's petite with mocha chocolate brown skin and long flowy curly black hair. I can see her face now and her eyes are pools of dark brown and brighten as she talks animatedly with her young companion. I guess she felt me staring because her eyes meet mine and then she smiles at me. I smile back and nod my head at her._

'_Next!'_

_I watch as they step up to the table and I move up ever so slightly to listen in on the exchange. There is only one person ahead of Zack and I so I am close enough to the front to hear. I'm not sure what has come over me but I feel like I have to get to know her. I notice her take a packet of information from the table as the man behind the table tells her to fill out the emergency contact information card and place it in the wooden box. She nods and then walks away. My eyes follow her until the two of them take seats nearby. Why can't I stop staring at her? The line that Zack and I are in finally moves forward and we go through the steps of getting him registered for the week-long band camp. The woman behind our table tells me to take a packet of information to read through which will explain all of the activities that the kids will be involved in during the week. She also explains that the emergency contact information card must be filled out and returned before I leave the campus. We nod as she explains that the kids will be getting their field assignments today and that parents are welcome to attend. Just as we turn to leave, the mocha goddess returns and places her card in the box. I glance down quickly and scan the information she has filled in on the form. I can use this information to my advantage. I need to call my assistant._

"_Need a pen?" Her voice is soft and rich. I turn and meet her brown eyes. She offers me a small smile as she holds the pen out to me with her left hand. Her intoxicating sweet aroma invades my nostrils. It smells like vanilla with a hint of honey. My eyes instinctively look for a wedding band and I feel immediate relief when I see none._

"_Yes." I smile at her, my eyes scanning hers as I take the pen from her grasp. "Thank you." She nods, turns and the two of them walk away. I'm frozen. She's an angel. My eyes zero in on her backside again and I bite down on my bottom lip as I envision the hours of fun we could have together. All too soon, my fantasy is rudely interrupted as I feel Zack nudge me. He holds up the card and shakes it at me and then we make our way to a nearby table._

"_Dad what hotel are you staying at?" I look over and see he has filled in most of the information for me._

"_You know buddy, I don't even know. I'll have to call Harriet. Give me a second." I stand and walk a couple of feet away from him, and the other parents and students, to call my assistant._

"_Hello Mr. Evans. How can I help you?"_

"_Harriett, I need you to make me a reservation at the Marriott Hotel here in Gainesville on Seary Road. I want the room right next to room 520, not sure what the room number would be. If there are occupants in that room, please have their room upgraded for the duration of their stay. It is imperative that I get the room closest to 520, especially if the rooms are joined."_

"_Yes, sir. I will text you with confirmation. If there is a problem, I will call."_

"_Thank you, Harriett." I walk back over to the table to join Zack. "Harriet was away from her desk so we just have to wait until she calls back."_

"_I cannot believe you don't even know where you are staying."_

"_Cut me some slack buddy. Everything was done last minute you know."_

"_Yeah, I know. Thank you for bringing me dad."_

"_Hey, I'm glad I had the chance. I know your mother wishes she could have but she had an emergency and like I said, I am glad that you asked me instead of not coming at all. Don't ever doubt that I wouldn't be here for you even when your mother cannot be. I'll always have your back." I pat him on the shoulder as I feel my phone buzz. I take it out of my blazer pocket and look down at the text from Harriett as I smile in satisfaction. "OK, I am at the Marriott Hotel 11232 Seary Road room 522."_

"_Got it." He stands and we walk back over to the table to deliver the card. "So, are you going to stay for field assignments?"_

"_Of course. Let's go."_

_Once we arrive at the stadium, Zack goes to his assigned counselor and I take the trek to the stands alone. I glance around to see if she is here and smile when I notice her sitting toward the end of a bleacher just a few rows from the top. I walk over to the steps and then begin to walk down. As I near her, her head turns and she smiles at me again. "Mind if I join you?"_

"_Sure, help yourself."_

"_Thanks." I take a seat and glance out at the field as the kids get their instructions. "Seems like they have a pretty active week planned."_

"_Yes, it does. My daughter is so excited. This should be a really good experience for them."_

"_I agree." I clear my throat as I rack my brain on how to keep the conversation going. "Which one is yours?"_

_She glances out at the kids and then smiles. "Third row from the front, sixth from the left with the Superman neck strap." I nod and smile in confirmation once I locate her daughter._

"_She's beautiful."_

"_Thank you. Which one is yours?"_

"_Second drummer from the right with the Superman drumsticks."_

"_Oh boy. You have a Superman fanatic on your hands too I see?"_

_I nod my head and smile. "I don't even know that fanatic accurately describes him. He is overly obsessed."_

"_Has he been to Metropolis yet?"_

"_No but he has been wanting to go."_

"_Yeah, Ally does too. That's my daughter Allyson, Ally for short."_

"_My son's name is Zachary, Zack for short."_

"_Well I am sure they will notice each other's Superman gear and have loads to talk about."_

"_I'm sure they will." We sit in silence for a few minutes as we listen to the kids play a few warmup scales from their places on the field. I'm dying to continue our conversation, but I know I cannot be too eager and ask a lot of random personal questions about her. Truth is I already want to know everything about this woman right now. Now that I am seated next to her and breathing more normally, I smell that distinct vanilla and honey aroma again. It is intoxicating. My phone buzzes and I pull it from my pocket to read another text from Harriett letting me know that the room is ready. I text her back quickly and then slide the phone back into my pocket. We continue to sit in a comfortable silence. After about fifteen more minutes, the kids get dismissed from the field and I notice Ally waving at her mother to come down._

"_Looks like I am being summoned. It was good talking to you. Hope you have a great week."_

"_I'll walk down with you. Seems I'm being summoned as well." I point out at Zack who is motioning for me to come down. I stand and step out of the row. "After you."_

"_Thank you."_

_As we reach the field I watch as Ally loops her arm with her mother's and they walk toward a counselor._

"_Dad, I want to introduce you to my counselor and then there is a reception for the campers only."_

"_OK, lead the way."_

_After shaking the counselor's hand, Zack and I say goodnight and I turn to leave. My eyes scan the crowd again for my mocha angel and I smile when I find her. After hugging her daughter, she turns to leave as well. I take a few quick steps to fall in a few people behind her but close enough for her aroma to keep me hypnotized. When we reach the outside of the stadium, I notice as she stops and pulls her phone out of her purse. Surely she isn't calling a cab. This could be my opportunity. I slow my steps and then redirect my path so that I can bump into her. I angle my shoulder to lightly graze her as I pass. "Oh, I'm sor-. Hey."_

"_Hey. It's OK." She looks up and then back at her phone._

"_You calling a cab?"_

"_Yeah, I didn't rent a car for the week. It seems like a waste of money when I will probably be hanging around the hotel for most of the week anyway."_

"_Well, I can give you a lift."_

"_No, that's OK but thank you for the offer."_

"_Really, it's fine. I don't mind. Where are you staying?"_

"_At the Marriott Hotel on Seary Road."_

"_Well, madam you are in luck. That's where I am staying too. Come on. I definitely won't take no for an answer now." She smiles and nods. "By the way my name is Sam. Sam Evans."_

"_Hi Sam. I'm Mercedes Jones. It's nice to meet you."_

"_It's nice to meet you too."_

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

As I enter my apartment, I walk into the kitchen and drop my keys on the counter. I take my phone from my pocket and call my assistant.

"Good morning Mr. Evans."

"Good morning Harriet. I'm going to be working remotely today so please forward all calls to my Buckhead apartment."

"Yes sir."

"Also, please contact Tony and ask him to bring the BMW over to my apartment. I will need him to take the Lexus to the shop. There is a small dent on the roof that needs to be repaired."

"Yes sir. Is there anything else that you need?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you Harriet." I end the call and grab a bottle of apple juice out of the refrigerator. I go into my office and power up my laptop. Our selfie appears on the screen and I feel my throat tighten. Her smile continues to take my breath away. Will I ever get to see her smile like this again?

* * *

A few hours later I finish up my last call and then decide to take a quick shower. As I shower, I continue to replay the events of yesterday over in my head. Maybe I should go back to the restaurant to see if the waiter knows what made her upset. I realize now that I didn't ask him before I left. Maybe there is some sort of surveillance camera that would give me some insight on what happened. Even as I think it, I know it sounds extreme, but it's only been a little over twenty-four hours without her and I am going crazy.

After I am done with my shower, I go out to the living room and see Zack on the couch. "Hey son. How was school?"

"It was fine. What time are we leaving for Cedes' house?"

"Sorry buddy but Mercedes had something come up and had to cancel."

"Oh, OK. When can we go back to the house? There is nothing for me to do here because all my games are there. How much longer are you going to wait to tell Cedes the truth?"

It's much too soon to let him know what has happened. I'm hoping that it all gets resolved without him ever having to know. "I'm going to tell her soon buddy. In the meantime, how about we go back to the house so you can pack up some of your games to bring here?"

"Yes! Can I call Ally and see if she wants to come over for a battle? My room is clean and I just finished up my homework."

"I don't know if tonight is a good idea. Maybe another day this week or the weekend."

"OK. What day can I ask her over?"

"Let me check my schedule and I'll let you know."

"OK." I sit down on the other end of the couch and turn on the TV. "Um, dad. Are you going to check your schedule? What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean usually when I ask to invite Ally over you grab your phone to call Cedes before I can even finish the question."

"Don't be a worry wart Zack. Cedes is still working and you know I don't like interrupting her. I'll call her when she is off work."

"Oh, OK. Can we go to the house now so I can get my system and some games?"

"Sure, let's go." I stand and go into the kitchen to get my keys. When I walk back to the foyer, I notice him typing on his phone. "I thought we were going to get your games?"

"We are." He stands and smirks as he passes me to open the front door. I file in behind him, flicking his cap. "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know. What do you want?"

"Tacos sound good."

"Tacos it is then. You want to call ahead and have Ms. Percy make them for us?"

"Ok."

Once we get outside, he questions the car change. "Why aren't we in the truck?"

"There a little damage on the roof that needs to be repaired." He nods and buckles his seat belt.

"It's been a while since you've driven this one. I think the last time was when you took me to band camp, right?"

I swallow the lump that immediately formed in my throat. "Yep, you're right."

I put the car in drive and pull into traffic. My eyes dart over to him ever so often because I suspect he is texting with Ally. I debate with myself on whether I need to come clean. He really likes Mercy and I don't want to upset him but most importantly I feel a twinge of guilt for keeping this from him. I'm still hoping that whatever has upset her will blow over and that my phone will ring at any minute. He finishes up his call to Ms. Percy and then I notice as he begins typing again on his phone. I shift my eyes back on the road and say a silent prayer that Mercy hasn't said anything to Ally yet. We reach the house and Zack darts out of the car. I'm startled by the action and begin to wonder if he knows. I throw my head back against the head rest and exhale loudly. I know this isn't going to turn out well.

I step into the house and Ms. Percy greets me. "Hello Mr. Sam."

"Hi Ms. Percy. Where did Zack go?"

"I'm right here. I had to use the bathroom. Sorry I bailed out on you like that, but I couldn't hold it anymore." He chuckles to himself and hugs Ms. Percy.

"Hi my baby. How's school?" They turn and walk arm in arm as Zack fills her in on his first days as a freshman. I take the opportunity to go to my room and make a call to Mercy."

'_Hi You've reached Mercedes. Please leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can. Bye!''_

"Hi Mercy. It's me again. Baby please talk to me. At least tell me what happened. Whatever it is I will fix it, I promise. I miss you so much. Zack wants Ally to come over and I don't know what to tell him. I mean have you told Ally what's going on? I'm just lost. I need you. I need to talk to you, I need to hold you and tell you everything will be OK. Baby, please call me or text me back or something. Please."

"What's going on dad?" Zack startles me as he stands in the doorway. I press the button on my phone to disconnect from her voice mail.

"Oh, Zack. I didn't realize you were there."

"What's going on dad? What's happened between you and Cedes?"

"I don't know. She won't talk to me."

"Ally said all her mom has been doing for the past day is crying. Cedes won't tell her what's wrong." His voice cracks and it breaks my heart. I look over at him and see that his eyes are beginning to water.

"Zack, I swear, I don't know what's wrong. I'm trying to find out, but she won't respond to any of my calls or text messages." I clear my throat trying to reassure him. "I will keep trying I promise. You don't worry about it, son."

He turns and just walks away. I drop my phone on the bed and sit down on the edge. With my head in my hands and my thoughts racing, I try to slow them so that I can concentrate on what my next move will be. She won't answer my calls or text messages, she won't open the door when I go to her house and she just tells me to leave when I am there knocking on the door. Now Zack is upset. I'm sure Ally is upset too. I fling myself back onto the bed, press my palms against my forehead and close my eyes thinking back to our car ride from the stadium after leaving the kids at band camp.

_**********__Flashback Sunday June 7__th(Continued)__**********_

"_All set?" I look over at her with a small smile._

_She turns and smiles back at me. "Yes." I start the engine, shift the gear and begin our drive to the Marriott. After driving for a few minutes, she clears her throat. "So, where did you and Zack travel from?"_

"_Atlanta. You?"_

"_Atlanta as well. We live in Buckhead."_

"_Nice. Would you believe we live in Buckhead too?" My mind begins to race. Why did I just say that? Think Sam. What's the name of that apartment complex? Shit._

"_Really? House or apartment?"_

"_Apartment." Come on. Come to me. What is it?_

"_Let me guess." She studies me for a few moments. "You live at the Blue Atrium Estates, don't you?"_

"_Why would you guess there?" I smile as her admission triggers my memory of that complex. That's where my company leases apartments when needed for our contractors._

"_You just seem like that's where you would live. You've got this certain vibe about you, this expensive car, manicured fingers. With an apartment, I don't see you living anywhere else in Buckhead but at the Blue Atrium."_

"_Wow, you're really good. Yes. That's where we live." I make a mental note to call Harriet once I get settled into the room to setup a lease for me at one of the apartments at the Blue Atrium._

"_I'm so good." She smiles and then turns her head forward. "So, what kind of work do you do?"_

"_I won't make you guess that one. I'm a senior executive for one of the biggest companies in Atlanta. I won't tell you which one though. I mean you might be a crazy stalker or something." I wink at her and chuckle._

_She giggles. "Fair enough. I work for a marketing firm."_

"_Do you enjoy your job?"_

"_Yes, I really do. I've been in the marketing field since graduating from Spelman college. I've been working at Rose and Potts for seven years now." She stills and then grins over at me. "Oops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Oh well. I know where you live and you know where I work. I think that's fair."_

"_I think you are right." What are the odds? She works for my ex-father in law. I pull into the parking lot and park near the lobby entrance. "Well, here we are."_

"_Thank you again Sam. I really appreciate it."_

"_Anytime Mercedes." She opens the door and steps out as I walk to the trunk and begin to unload my bags. I see her lingering nervously by the front of my car and it makes me smile. "You don't have to wait for me."_

"_It's the least I can do. I wanted to see if you needed any help taking your bags in before I took off." Oh, that's perfect. That will keep her from leaving me in the lobby while I check in. Normally I wouldn't fathom having a woman help me with my bags, but I will make an exception in this case._

"_Well, if you don't mind, I could use some help." I hand her my duffle bag as I pull my laptop bag and suitcase out of the trunk. I click the button to close the trunk and then follow her into the lobby. She stands to the side as I stop at the front desk and collect my room key. I walk over to join her and then we walk together to the elevators. We step into a car when it arrives._

"_What floor?"_

"_Fifth."_

"_No way. That's my floor too. What room?"_

_I look down at the small envelope with my key cards. "522." I'm doing my best to keep the shit eating grin off my face._

"_You're kidding me, right?" I offer her a confused look and then look at the envelope again, holding it up so she can see the room number written on the outside. "That's crazy. I'm in 520. I could have sworn that there was already an older couple in the room next to me."_

"_Seriously?"_

_She nods. "I guess we were just destined to run into each other today." She smiles as the elevator stops on the fifth floor. She steps out, smiling over her shoulder at me. I know I shouldn't, but my eyes scan down and then stop at her ass. It's glorious and my hands are itching to touch it. She turns her head as we round the corner and I quickly pull my eyes back up to her face. We reach my room first and she stops as I pull out one of the cards to unlock the door. "So, I was thinking you should join me for dinner downstairs in the restaurant this evening. You know, as a 'thank you' for the ride today."_

"_Why Ms. Mercedes if I didn't know any better I would think you were asking me out on a date." She bites down on her bottom lip and then fixes her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "I would love to. Say in about an hour?"_

_She smiles and nods. "That sounds good. I'll stop by and pick you up." She winks as she hands my duffle bag over to me. I sit it inside the door and watch as she walks the feet away and unlocks her door. She glances over her shoulder at me. "I'll see you in an hour." She disappears into the room as the door slams shut behind her. _

"_Yes!" I fist pump the air and then walk into my room._

_**********_END OF FLASHBACK_**********_

"Hey Dad, tacos are ready."

I dart upright on the bed and see Zack watching me from the doorway. "Thanks Zack. I'll be there in a minute." He walks over and sits down next to me.

"Dad, you know I really like Cedes, and you've been so happy since you met her, so I hope you can fix whatever happened because I like seeing you happy."

"I hope so too Zack." I exhale and then stand. "Come on let's go eat."

* * *

After dinner and an hour of Zack trying to cheer me up, we both pack a few things and then head back to the apartment. Once we arrive, Zack tells me he is going to shower and play a video game before going to bed. I nod and then head to my room. I just feel so empty. I wish she would just talk to me and tell me what happened. I strip down to my briefs and climb into bed as my phone chimes from the nightstand. I still as my heartbeat begins to race. Is it her? I lean over and grab the phone and look at the screen.

_**Hey Sammy. Can we please get together and talk over drinks?**_

I blink rapidly at the message before a scowl spreads across my face. I don't respond and just put the phone back on the nightstand. Get drinks with her? Fuck no! The phone chimes again and I know it's her. I snatch my phone up and call her.

"Hey you."

"Look, I don't know what the fuck you are on but please hear me. I'm being very direct when I say this. There is no hesitation in my voice, so listen very carefully. I do not now nor will I ever want to get together and have anything with you. At this point, the only reason I am communicating with you is because we share a child, and you are abusing that. So, I am putting you on notice, do not call or text me again about anything except Zack. I mean it." I disconnect the call, check the wake up alarm and then drop the phone on the bed next to me just as it chimes again. _Are you fucking kidding me?_ I count the chimes as they sound from the phone. After nine, it stops. Thank you! I pick up the phone and place it back on the nightstand. I press the power button on the TV and begin flipping through the channels. I need something to distract me. Once I settle on a rerun of _Criminal Minds_, I drop the remote on the bed next to me and yawn. I stare blankly up at the ceiling thinking about our usual Thursday nights. We would have had dinner at her house before playing a few rounds of Phase 10. Zack and Ally would then scurry off to play a video game while Mercy and I cleaned the kitchen. Well, she would be trying to clean the kitchen. I would be doing my best to get her out of her clothes. And tonight, we were supposed to be staying the night with them. Ally and I were supposed to cook. A soft melody plays from the TV and that causes my eyes and thoughts to focus on the screen. A young couple then appears on the screen both seated at a table in a restaurant. A waiter brings a covered dish to the table, nods to the man and sits the dish in front of the woman. The waiter removes the lid to reveal a red velvet box in the center of the plate surrounded by rose petals. The woman's eyes water and then dart up to find the man standing before her as he slowly kneels. I feel my chest tighten as the scene plays out in front of my now watery eyes. That should be us. That's going to be us. I just have to figure out how to get her to talk to me again because she is going to be my wife.

_**********__FLASHBACK Sunday June 7__th(Continued)__**********_

_A soft knock sounds against my room door and I smile as I grab my phone and wallet. I open the door and she takes my breath away yet again. She has her hair up in a high bun and is wearing a light blue dress with spaghetti straps. The dress has a flowy look and falls just above her knees. She grins at me as she watches me take in her look. "You ready?"_

"_Yes, ma'am." I lock my eyes on hers. "You look extraordinary."_

_A nervous giggle escapes her. "Thank you." I see her fidget with her fingers and look down at her hands before bringing her eyes back to mine. "Come on, I'm starved." She turns and begins walking down the hall toward the elevators as I close the door and follow. Her ass in this dress – oh my god. It should be against the law to have an ass like hers. "The restaurant downstairs has gotten a lot of rave reviews so I'm hoping that means that dinner will be enjoyable for us both."_

"_I haven't eaten a thing and I am already enjoying myself." She glances back at me and I wink at her as she giggles. We reach the elevators and I press the button to call one. I glance over at her again and smile. "I have to say it again, you look beautiful."_

_She softly clears her throat. "Thank you." The elevator dings and the doors open to reveal an almost full car. She starts to wave her hand to signal that we will get the next one, but I grab it and pull her into the car with me._

"_Come on, we can fit." I turn her so that her back is to my front with just the smallest of space between our two bodies. Her petite frame could nestle perfectly against me. My head could rest comfortably on top of her head. I'm itching to wrap my arms around her, but I figure that I shouldn't press my luck, so my hands stay at my sides. Her scent engulfs me just as the elevator reaches the lobby. As the doors open, I lean down close to her ear and inhale. "You smell heavenly."_

_I hear her gasp softly as she turns her head and looks up at me. Our lips are mere inches apart. My eyes quickly dart between her lips and eyes and I watch as her eyes do the same. "Thank you Sam." She slowly tears her eyes away from me and exits the elevator. I follow at a small distance and as usual, glue my eyes to her ass. "You know at some point you are going to have to stop walking behind me." She stops and turns to face me with a grin._

_I smirk at her and move closer. "Oh, I will eventually. But right now, I'm just enjoying that spectacular view."_

"_You are a such a flirt."_

"_Maybe but I speak only the truth. You look extraordinary. You look beautiful. You smell heavenly, and that view? Fucking spectacular."_

_She laughs and shakes her head. "You are so crazy. Come on." She grabs my hand and pulls me toward the restaurant. I tighten my grip and follow her. Once we get seated, we both peruse the menu while waiting for our water._

"_What are you going to have?"_

"_Hmm, I don't know. The baked ziti looks good but so does the Cajun chicken pasta. It will probably be one of those. What looks good to you?"_

"_You." She looks up at me, shakes her head and chuckles with a wide smile on her face. "But for dinner, I think grilled salmon pasta." She nods and looks back down at her menu. I close mine and watch her intently. I want this woman. I want this woman in the worst way. And not just her body. I want everything. My eyes zero in on her lips. Plump and kissable. I watch as she absent-mindedly drums her fingernails against the tablecloth. The waiter returns with our water and takes our order. I gesture for her to order first, and she proceeds to order the Cajun chicken pasta and a glass of chardonnay. I order the grilled salmon pasta and a glass of merlot. The waiter collects our menus and leaves. "So, tell me everything about you."_

"_Like what?"_

"_Everything, relationship status, your likes, dislikes, what you like to do for fun, things like that."_

"_Well, I'm a divorced mother of one. I'm 36. I was married for four years and have been divorced for ten. I'm a senior marketing director in Atlanta. I have one brother who is a firefighter. No sisters. When I am not working or doing my motherly duties, you'll probably find me in a bookstore or in a coffee shop. I also like to paint. Nothing fancy, just watercolors usually. My life is quiet and normal. I like music, fashion and chocolate. I don't dislike much except maybe mushrooms. Oh, and people who like to cause drama."_

"_OK and just to make sure, you are single right? Are you dating anyone?"_

"_Yes, I am single, and I date but no one exclusively at the moment."_

"_And why is that?"_

"_Well, that's not by choice. I've dated a lot since my divorce. And in all of that dating, there was only one that went further than a second date. He and I lasted three years, but in the end, we just weren't on the same page about where the relationship was going. That was a couple of years ago and since then, I haven't met anyone who I felt any type of connection with to warrant more than a second date."_

"_How do you know if there is a connection?"_

"_It's hard to explain, I just feel it."_

"_And do you feel anything between us?"_

"_I do."_

"_Good, I'm glad it's not just me."_

"_No, it's not just you." She takes a sip from her water glass and then looks back over at me. "So, tell me about you."_

"_Well, I am single, let's just make that clear off the top. I'm divorced with one son. I was married for eight years and have been divorced for six. I'm 38. Like I told you earlier today I am a senior executive for a firm in Atlanta. Work keeps me pretty busy but when I am not working or doing something with Zack, I like to draw and play the guitar. I like music too and chocolate chip cookies. Dislikes – I'm right there with you with mushrooms and drama but I also dislike shrimp."_

"_And why are you single?"_

"_Because I've been waiting to meet you."_

"_And there is Mr. Flirt again."_

"_Seriously, I've dated a lot over the years since my divorce as well, but nothing lasted. However, I think my luck has changed." I wink at her as the waiter arrives with our food. We continue our conversation and she tells me about her daughter, Ally, and I tell her all about Zack. She giggles at all of my silly impressions. Once our meal is done, the waiter brings the check and I go to grab it, but she is quicker and slips it right out of my grasp._

"_This was my treat remember?"_

"_I can't let you do that."_

"_Too bad because I am."_

"_OK, so that means it will be my treat tomorrow."_

"_Deal."_

"_So that means you are agreeing to go out to dinner with me tomorrow, out as in a date?"_

"_Yes."_

_I nod my head and smile. I have a date with her, and I couldn't be happier. The waiter returns and collects her card, swiping it at the table and returning it to her. She signs the ticket and hands it back to him. He excuses himself and we finish our drinks before standing and leaving the restaurant. I grab her hand as we walk toward the elevators. "Can I interest you in a night cap?"_

"_Only if I can get out of these clothes first."_

"_Oh, that definitely can be arranged." I lick my lips as my eyes trail up and down her body._

_She shakes her head with a wide smile on her face. "You are so crazy. I see I will have to watch what I say around you." She arches her eyebrow at me as she chuckles softly._

"_That's fine, and I'll just watch you." She continues shaking her head as she steps out of the elevator and I fall in line behind her. "Especially the back of you." _

_She turns the corner to head to her room and quickly glances at me over her shoulder. "And when do I get to watch the back of you?"_

"_Just say the word. Whenever you want, but be warned, the view won't be as fucking fantastic as yours." She shakes her head as she reaches her room and then turns to face me with a huge grin. "So, twenty minutes enough time to get comfortable?"_

"_That will be fine. See you then Sam."_

"_See you then Mercedes." I wait until she enters her room and the door closes before I enter mine. I kick off my shoes, empty my pants pockets and remove my blazer. The top two buttons on my shirt are already undone. I untuck my shirt from my pants and remove my belt. I go to the two bottles of liquor I brought from my own personal stash. I hope these are OK. I grin and hurry over to the phone. I listen as the phone rings and then she answers._

"_Hello?"_

"_Hey beautiful. It's Sam."_

_She chuckles. "Hey Sam."_

"_Just wanted to know if you drink bourbon or scotch. That's all I brought with me, so I am hoping it's OK for you."_

"_Sure, scotch works for me. On the rocks please."_

"_Great. OK, I'll see you in a few minutes. I just opened the adjoining door so you can come through it when you are ready."_

"_OK. See you in a bit."_

_I grab the ice bucket and slide my feet into my slippers. As I walk down the hall it hits me. Shit! I left my keycard in the room. Thankfully I opened the adjoining door so she will be able to let me back into my room. Once I am back with the ice bucket, I knock on her door. She opens it and gives me a confused look._

"_I locked myself out. Can you walk over and let me in?"_

"_Or you could just walk through my room to yours."_

"_Or I could just do that." She waves me in and closes the door. I wait and follow her into her room and then to the adjoining doorway to my room. She's wearing a t-shirt and a pair of black leggings. Even dressed down like this, she is breathtaking. "Come on over when you are ready."_

"_Be there in a second, I just want to take my hair down."_

_I nod and walk into my room. I place the ice bucket next to the bottles of liquor, then pick up the glasses and walk over to the sink. After rinsing them out, I turn and see her seated on the couch. "Hi there."_

"_Hey you." I walk over to the small table in front of the couch and sit the glasses down. Then I pick up the ice bucket and the bottle of scotch and sit them on the table as well. I take a seat next to her and begin preparing our drinks. I notice as she shifts her body and crosses her legs Indian style on the couch. That move causes my eyes to instinctively zero in on the 'V' between her legs. I quickly pull my eyes away when I notice her looking at me. "Here you go. Scotch on the rocks."_

"_Thanks."_

"_How about some music?"_

"_Sure."_

_I stand and turn on the television and tune to the quiet storm music station. I lower the volume to a comfortable level and walk back over to rejoin her on the couch. "So.."_

"_So.."_

"_We're going out on a date tomorrow night, our second if you count tonight, but what will you be doing for the rest of the day, pretty lady?"_

"_I'll be working from here. Unfortunately, this isn't a vacation for me. I have several calls that I have to take tomorrow."_

"_That's no fun."_

"_Yeah, I know but it is a necessary evil." She takes a drink from her glass and then rests it against her thigh as another song begins to play. "Oh, I love this song. Can you turn it up a little bit?" I stand and increase the volume a couple of notches as she begins to sing. The sound of her voice immediately stops me from moving back over to the couch next to her._

_I__ will love you anyway_

_ Even if you cannot stay  
I think you are the one for me  
Here is where you ought to be  
I just want to satisfy you  
Though you're not mine  
I can't deny you  
Don't you hear me talking baby?  
Love me now or I'll go crazy_

_Oh sweet thing  
Don't you know you're my everything?  
Oh sweet thing  
Don't you know you're my everything?  
Yes, you are_

_Her voice is as sweet as an angel. My throat tightens as she begins to next verse. I clear it and extend my hand to her. "Dance with me." She stands, sits her glass on the table and takes my out-stretched hand as I pull her close to me. She nestles her head against my chest and continues to sing. The feel of her body against mine and the sweet vanilla aroma surrounding me are enough to make me want to scoop her up and deposit her in the middle of my bed. Adding the sultry tone of her voice into the mix, I'm ready to drop to the floor and proclaim everything I am and everything I have to her. I am completely enraptured. After she finishes the second verse, she looks up at me. I smile down at her and bring my hands up to gently cradle her head. "You are so beautiful Mercedes. May I kiss you?" She grins and nods as she wraps her hands around my forearms. I lower my mouth and press my lips firmly against hers. She sighs softly as our heads angle at the same time and the kiss deepens. Her arms are now tightly around my neck and my arms are wrapped low around her waist. I snake my tongue between her lips and into her mouth. As our tongues twist and turn together, I allow my hands to roam down from her waist to rest on her ass. She moans and I exhale. Her breasts are snuggled against me and I am almost certain that I can feel her nipples hard and erect underneath her shirt. Man, this feels so fucking right, but I have to slow down. I take one hand and cradle the side of her face with it. I begin to slowly stroke her cheek with my thumb as our kiss slows until we finally break apart. I grin down at her as I continue rubbing her cheek. "How late can you stay?"_

"_Not too late. I have an eight o'clock call in the morning." I feel her arms loosen from around my neck and sense her getting ready to pull away._

"_Where are you going?"_

"_I was going to finish my drink before leaving."_

"_No, stay right here. I want to say something to you." She gently nods and smiles as I glide my index finger lightly across her bottom lip. I study her eyes. "Normally, I wouldn't dream of having my date pay for dinner, but I am willing to make an exception here. Tonight, was our first date, there was dinner and dancing. Tomorrow will be our second, so we will be past that hurdle. Now, having said that, I need you to know and believe me when I say that I'm not looking for a one-night thing here. I'm attracted to you and want to spend time with you now and when we get back to Atlanta. How do you feel about that?" My eyes continue to study hers as I wait for her response._

_Her smile widens. "I would like that. I'm attracted to you too Sam."_

"_Good. Now, I'm going to let you go before I forget my manners, throw you on that bed and fuck you senseless. However, before I release you, I'm going to say this. When our time comes, mark my words, I am going to fuck you senseless, in, on, and against every available surface."_

"_Is that a promise?"_

"_That's a promise beautiful." I release my hold around her waist as I kiss the tip of her nose and then her forehead._

_She walks over to the table and picks up her glass. She finishes the rest of the drink in one gulp, hands the glass to me and then walks toward the adjoining doors. She stops and bites down on her bottom lip as she looks over her shoulder at me with low seductive eyes. "Good night Sam."_

"_Good night Mercedes." I watch as she disappears into her room and closes the door._

_As I lay in bed, I think back over the day. From our meeting at the campus to our drive to the hotel to dinner and then to our nightcap. This is a day I will never forget. I inhale and smile. Her scent still lingers in the room long after she has gone. I think back to her sweet voice singing along to the song playing on the television. And then to our first kiss and how our lips connected so perfectly. Her soft moans. I feel a twinge of pride when I remember how I slowed us down. I don't want to mess up what we could have by having sex too soon. Like I told her, I am not looking for a one-night stand. I want more with her. I want her. I close my eyes as the smile remains on my lips. I want her and not just physically. I want everything with her. I want her by my side. I feel a connection with her that I have never felt with anyone else. She is the one, but I know I have to take it slow. I cannot reveal too much about myself, because I don't want to scare her away, but when the time is right, I will tell her. And then I will make her my wife._

_**********_END OF FLASHBACK_**********_

The phone chimes again and I groan. What the fuck do I have to do to make her leave me alone? I lean over and pick it up from the nightstand.

_**Come on Sammy don't be that way**_

_**We always had a good time together after a few drinks**_

_**I miss you**_

_**I know I messed up but I am sorry**_

_**I will do whatever I need to do to fix this so that we can be a family again**_

_**Think of Zack and how happy he would be to have his family together**_

_**I'm not giving up on us**_

_**Can we at least talk about this face to face**_

_**No one will ever love you the way I do**_

_**I'll be here whenever you are ready to talk**_

I read the text messages and then decide to turn off the ringer. I place it back on the nightstand and then turn over onto my side. I click the power button on the remote to turn off the television. After a few minutes, I feel myself begin to drift.


	11. An Unnecessary Break

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Friday September 11th

The next morning, I am awakened by the alarm on my phone. I reach over, pick it up and click the screen to stop it. Then I glance to see if any messages came from Mercy. A small frown forms on my lips when I see there are none. I yawn and stretch and then stand up and walk to the bathroom to shower. Once I'm out of the shower, I slide on a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt and then call Harriett to let her know that I am working at home again. She reminds me that she needs to place the catering order for my meeting with Rose & Potts next week. Holy Shit! I completely forgot about that in the wake of everything going on with me and Mercy right now. It's something to look forward to that's for sure. If I am not able to get her to talk to me before Wednesday, I know I will have that meeting. I instruct Harriett to order from Pandillo's. After I hang up the phone with her, I feel a little hope. I power on my laptop and meet her eyes again. _Mercy please talk to me._ I stare at her for several moments before I stand and walk into the kitchen to grab something to eat.

Settling back down at my desk, I hear the doorbell chime. I walk to the door and open it. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Sam Evans?"

"Yes, that's me."

"I have a delivery for you. Could you please sign here?" He hands me a clipboard with one hand as I eye the small brown envelope in his other hand.

"There you go." I hand the pen back to him and he hands me the brown envelope. I nod and smile and close the door. I look down at the envelope and notice there is no handwriting on it. I turn it over and open it. Looking inside it, my heart immediately drops. _No. Dammit! No Mercy._ I hurry into my office and write the word 'NO' on the envelope. Then I slide on my shoes, grab my car keys and slam the door shut behind me. She is not getting rid of me this easily.

As I sit behind the wheel of my car and make my way to her house, I try to calm my anger by thinking back to our first official date.

_***********FLASHBACK Monday June 8__th**********_

"_It's called Corks and Colors. You told me you like to paint so we can paint for a bit while we sip on some wine and then grab a bite to eat. What do you think?"_

"_I'm impressed. This sounds really fun. I'll admit I was skeptical when you told me to dress in something comfortable and something that I wouldn't mind getting dirty."_

_I grin at her and grab her hand to enter the studio. "Come on, I want to see you get dirty." She laughs out loud and follows me. The woman at the front counter escorts us to a small room toward the back and points out all of the supplies that are available. As Mercedes got settled in front of her canvas, I gave our hostess our wine order. The hostess excused herself and then returned with two wine glasses and a bottle of Riesling._

"_That's my favorite."_

"_Good to know." I wink at her as I hand her a glass, uncork the bottle and fill it midway. "All right, let's get to it." I go to the sound system, turn it on and then listen as the room fills with soft music. I slip out of my shoes, then stand in front of my canvas and pick up a brush. "So, what are you going to paint?"_

"_It's a surprise. I'll show you when it's done. No peeking." She narrows her eyes at me. "What are you going to paint."_

"_It's a surprise. I'll show you when it's done. No peeking." I grin at her as she chuckles. "So, tell me about your childhood Mercedes."_

"_There's not much to tell. We grew up in a small town in Kentucky. My dad is a dentist and he was the only one in town back then, so we were pretty well known. My mom stayed at home with my brother Marcus and I until we were in high school, and then she went back to teaching. She taught science to fourth and fifth graders. She retired from teaching about seven years ago and has her own interior design business now. My dearest and best friend from kindergarten through high school was a girl named Francine. Everybody called her Frankie. She and I would do everything together. She was like my sister. We were going to take on the world together. After we graduated from high school, our plan was to move to New York City to study fashion design. Our brand was going to take the world by storm. Once we finished our degrees we were going to move to Paris and build our empire there. Frades – that was going to be the name of our brand."_

"_So, what happened? Why didn't you?"_

"_Frankie passed away the night we graduated from high school."_

"_Oh, I'm so sorry. We don't have to talk about this. Let's change the subject."_

"_No, it's OK. I don't mind talking about her. She is always with me, like my own personal guardian angel, you know?" She smiles timidly at me before looking back at her canvas. "She died of alcohol poisoning."_

"_I'm so sorry beautiful."_

"_Thanks Sam. But like I said she is still with me to this day." She focuses back on her canvas and we paint in silence for a few minutes. "So, tell me about your childhood. Do you have any siblings?"_

"_Yes, I have a younger brother and sister, they're twins. They both live in Seattle. Stevie is an architect and Stacie is a pediatrician. We grew up in Memphis Tennessee. My dad is a retired executive and my mom is an accountant. Our upbringing was pretty uneventful. We had this huge house with this gigantic backyard with a pool, so our house was the place to be. I've never had many friends though. The only person I was ever really close with growing up was my dad. He was, no, he is, my hero. He wanted me to make a career out of being an artist because I've always been into it, but I knew it would always be a hobby and not a career."_

"_I know what you mean. As much as I love the way I feel when I am painting, I knew that this wouldn't pay the bills." She giggles and I nod at her in agreement._

"_More wine?"_

"_Yes, please."_

_I refill our glasses and then sit the bottle back on the counter. "So, tell me about your first boyfriend."_

"_Oh, wow. My first boyfriend, huh." She smiles as she dips her brush into the paint. "That would be Nicholas Cavanaugh. I was a freshman in high school, and he was a sophomore. He was this tall blond hair, blue-eyed god who I didn't think knew I was even alive. We were in the school's choir together and got partnered up for a duet during one of our assignments. We had to sing a male/female duet, but I had to sing the male part and he had to sing the female part. So, while we worked together on the duet every day, we got to know each other. After we performed Islands in the Stream, flawlessly I might add, he asked me out and we dated for three years after that."_

"_Why did you break up?"_

"_He was moving away to go to school in LA. It didn't make sense to try to have a long-distance thing when we were so young. I ran into him about six years ago though. He is an investment banker in Houston now and was in Atlanta for business meetings. I had been divorced for a few years by that time, but I still wasn't interested in any kind of relationship, although he seemed to want to pick up right where we left off after high school. We had dinner a couple of nights while he was in town and exchanged numbers, but that was the last time I heard from him." She takes a sip from her wine glass as she looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. "Now you. Tell me about your first girlfriend."_

"_Her name was Kaitlyn Banks. I met her the summer before my sophomore year in high school. She was working at a movie theater. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, but, that has definitely changed." I wink at her and she shakes her head with a small grin on her face. "I begged my eight-year-old brother Stevie to ask her for her phone number for me because I was scared to talk to her. Our first date was during one of her shifts. At that time, there was only two screens, so after she cleaned both she met me in the arcade, and we played games until the movies ended and she had to get back to work. Our first kiss was inside one of those instant photo booths."_

"_Aww, how cute."_

"_I know, I am, aren't I?" I bat my eyes at her._

_She shakes her head and giggles. "Anyway, so why did you break up?"_

"_To this day, I still don't know. We dated until the beginning of the school year, and then all of a sudden, she stopped talking to me. She didn't answer my calls and anytime I went to the theater she would rush off without saying a word to me."_

"_Well that's strange."_

"_Yeah I know. The last time I saw her she was walking with a couple of her girlfriends at the state fair. I called out to her, but she looked at me like she didn't know who I was, so I just left it alone."_

"_That was a pretty douchey way to break up with someone."_

"_Yes, it was." I take a sip from my glass and eye her for a few moments. "Speaking of douchey ways to break up with someone, what is the worst way you have done it?"_

"_I mailed his key back to him."_

"_What?"_

"_I was dating this guy during my freshman year at Spelman. It just got to be too much. Drama all the time, he didn't trust me. He always thought I was out seeing other guys. So, I called him up one morning to tell him that it was time for us to end our relationship. He must have sensed what I was going to say because he kept talking over me and telling me that he would give me some space and to come to his place to talk about it when I was ready. After a week of trying to break up with him, I was over it. He had given me a key to his apartment early on, way too early in my opinion, so I just put it in an envelope and had it delivered to him."_

"_Well that's not too awful bad. I mean you did try to break up with him, but he wouldn't listen. How long did you date him?"_

"_We dated for less than two months. And I know it's not too bad, but I still hated doing it that way." She puts her brush down and then looks over at me. "I'm done."_

"_I'm not, so just stay over there."_

"_OK." She drinks the last of her wine and sits the glass down on the table. "So, tell me your douchey break-up story."_

"_Well, all of my breakups have been face-to-face except for one. That one I did over text message. She was a crier and I couldn't handle the thought of her crying, so I just sent her a message and told her that I thought she was a great girl but that our relationship had run its course."_

"_How did she respond?"_

"_She called me crying of course." She chuckles and I can't help but laugh as well. "OK, done. You go first." She waves me over and I walk toward her. I look at her canvas and see a pretty intricate painting of a waterfall. I smile at her and nod. "That's really good. I'm impressed."_

"_Thanks. Now show me yours." I grab her hand and pull her over to my canvas. I painted a picture of a red rose. The rose petals bend and twist to form the letters 'M' and 'S' in the center. "Wow Sam. That's beautiful." She traces her index finger lightly across the letters. "How did you get it to look like the letters are jumping off the page?"_

"_It's all in the shading." She continues tracing her finger over the painting as I inhale her sweet scent. At that moment I realize that this is the closest she has been to me all day. I place my hand on the small of her back and lean down enough to nuzzle my nose in the crook of her neck. "You smell so good lady." I lower my hand and wrap it around her waist. She turns in my arm and smiles up at me._

"_Thank you, and thank you for this. I really had a great time."_

"_I did too but the night isn't over yet. Since we are dressed down, I thought we could go casual and have some barbecue." I rub my nose against hers as I feel her warm breath on my face. "Before we go though, I need to kiss you. May I?"_

"_Yes."_

_I press my lips firmly on hers and pull her into both of my arms. Her body presses against mine and I immediately feel dizzy. I feel her hands as they rub up and down my back. Our heads angle and my tongue slips between her lips. She moans and sucks gently on the tip of my tongue. My cock begins to stir, and I immediately slow down our kiss. Patience. Patience is my friend right now. I let my right-hand slide down from her waist and palm her ass. As our lips draw apart, I smile down at her and then kiss the tip of her nose. "Let's get out of here." I take her hand and lead her out of the studio._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

I pull in front of her house and notice that her car is not in the driveway. She must have gone into the office today. I pick up the envelope and get out of the car. As I walk toward the front porch, I hear my phone chime. I stop, pull it from my pocket and glance at the screen. I groan immediately. Apparently, my message to her last night was not clear. I slide my phone back into my pocket and continue to the front door. I take the envelope and put it in the mailbox.

Once I am back in my car, my phone chimes again. I look at it and begin to fume. This shit stops now. I click her number and wait for her to answer.

"Hi Sammy."

"God dammit Marley, stop texting me. I mean it. I don't want to hear from you unless it concerns Zack. Is that clear?"

"This does concern Zack."

"What does?"

"You and me becoming a family again."

"And that's never going to happen. I've tried to be cordial about this, but you think this is a game. We are the past. I am not interested in being with you ever again. I don't know how else to say it."

"You don't mean that Sam. Can't we just talk about this like adults? Just one drink. What's the harm in having one drink with me?"

"There is no harm in it, but I'm not interested. I've moved on and you need to as well."

"I'm not giving up on you. Zack needs both his mother and his father."

"And if you had kept your fucking legs closed, we could have possibly still been together."

"I made a mistake babe. Will you ever forgive me?"

"Yes, you made a hell of a mistake and I forgave you years ago."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Are you dense!? I DO NOT WANT TO BE WITH YOU. You exist in my life as Zack's mother, period. That's it, and that's all. There is nothing else between us. When will you understand that? And you texting me like you have been is doing nothing but pissing me the fuck off, so I am only going to say this one more time. Do not contact me again unless it concerns Zack."

"Sam, please. I have nothing left. You and Zack are all I have."

"Correction, Zack is all you have."

"You are really going to turn your back on me? The mother of your only child?"

"Don't even try it."

"Yes, I know you pay me alimony and provide for Zack but what about my well-being? Don't you feel some type of obligation in making sure that the mother of your only child is happy?"

"No, I don't. Look, this conversation is going nowhere. I am telling you for the last time do not call or text me unless it concerns Zack's physical well-being. If you continue to ignore my requests, you will hear from my attorney again and I will have you charged with harassment." I end the call and drop the phone on the passenger seat. I start the engine and begin the journey back to my apartment. Her incessant texting for the past couple of days has really gotten under my skin. She hasn't texted me this much in six years. As I wait at a stop light, I reach for my sunglasses but then realize that they are in my truck. I then reach up to lower the sun visor and a tattered piece of brown paper falls into my lap. My eyes follow it and I softly groan, knowing exactly what it is.

_**********FLASHBACK Monday June 8__th**********_

"_Table or booth?"_

"_Booth please." We follow the hostess to a booth toward the back corner of the restaurant. I gesture for her to sit and when she does, I slide in right next to her. She looks over at me with confusion. "I've sat across from you enough. I want to sit next to you. You know so I can feel you up properly if I want to." I smirk at her and she half-chuckles as she looks at the menu._

"_Hi I'm Wendy. What can I get you to drink?"_

"_I'll have lemonade please."_

"_And for you sir."_

"_I'll have the same. Thank you." Wendy leaves to get our drinks and I grab her free hand. "What are you having beautiful?"_

"_I think a pulled chicken sandwich with green beans and slaw. What about you?"_

"_I'm going to have a pulled pork sandwich with potato salad and BBQ baked beans."_

"_Sounds good. Do you think I could have a little taste of your baked beans?"_

"_You can have a little taste of my anything you want." I raise her hand up and kiss it softly. Wendy returns with our drinks and then takes our order. Once Wendy leaves, I take her hand again to my lips. "So, I want to know more about you. Tell me some of your favorites."_

"_Well, my favorite color is purple. My favorite food is Mexican. I don't watch a lot of television, but two shows that I watch when I can are Scandal and Criminal Minds. I DVR every episode. There is no way I could choose a favorite movie, but I like most genres. I guess sci-fi would be my favorite genre. Favorite wine is Riesling. Favorite dessert is Ben & Jerry's cherry cordial ice cream. Favorite author is Maya Angelou and favorite book is The Notebook."_

"_The Notebook was a movie too, right?"_

"_Yes, it was but the movie didn't do the book justice, in my opinion, but that's usually the case when a book is turned into a movie. The book is always ten times better." I nod my head in agreement. My hand is still holding hers and I have to admit that I am a bit surprised that she hasn't made a move to remove it. "Hey, let me out. I need to use the ladies' room."_

"_Sure, just pay the toll." I grin at her and lightly tap my lips. She leans in and gives me a lingering peck. I smile at her and then slide out of the booth. I sit back down on the opposite side and grin as I think about how the evening has gone so far. I know this woman is different. My behavior around her lets me know she is different. I would normally be trying to get her in bed, but I am not trying that with her. Hell yeah I want her in my bed in the worst way, but with her I am willing to wait. I want her to know that I want more than just sex with her because I do. I want her around for a very, very long time so I have to take things slow, but not so slow that she thinks that I don't want her. She comes back to the table and slides back into the booth. I stand and slide back in beside her. "All better?"_

"_Much."_

"_Good. Now we were talking about favorites. My favorite color is green. I'm a sci-fi freak too. I love Avatar. Best movie ever made, hands down. My favorite food is Japanese, but I like Mexican too. I cannot remember the last time I even watched television. If I turn it on, I am usually checking sports scores or watching a movie. I don't read much so I don't really have a favorite book or author. Favorite dessert is peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. I like brown liquors like scotch and bourbon but will have tequila shots from time to time." Wendy returns with our food as Mercy tears off a couple of paper towels for us. She hands me one and then places hers in her lap. "This looks good."_

"_Yes. It looks delicious." She takes a forkful of green beans and puts them in her mouth. "Mmm. These are really good. Almost as good as my mom's." She chews the food in her mouth as I taste a forkful of baked beans. She watches me and then arches her eyebrow. "So, how are they?"_

"_Awesome. Here have a taste." I take another forkful and raise the fork to her mouth. She opens and then closes her lips around the fork. As I pull it slowly from between her lips, she closes her eyes and moans softly. The sound takes a direct beeline to my cock._

"_Mmm." She opens her eyes and chews as a smile plays on her lips. "Those are good. Wow." She finishes chewing as she lowers her eyes back to her plate. "Do you want to try some of my green beans?"_

"_I want to try some of your everything. And I'm not just talking about what's on your plate." My eyes burn into her profile. She looks over at me and our eyes lock. She smiles at me shyly. "You have no idea how bad I want to throw you on this table and lick every part of your body." She begins to lower her eyes back to her plate, but I stop her, taking her chin in my hand. "That little moan you just did has me hard as a fucking rock. I want to make you moan like that all-night long." She says something but I don't hear her. Blood is rushing from every part of my body straight to my cock. I'm trying to picture anything but her splayed across the table in front of me while I feast on her. I hate to have to excuse myself off to the bathroom to relieve my erection but if I have to I will. "I'm sorry what did you say?"_

"_I said what's stopping you?"_

_I blink rapidly, surprised by her question, but I am definitely not going to back down from answering it and making my intentions known. "Several things actually. First and foremost, would be that I don't feel like spending the night in jail although it would be totally worth it. I also don't want you to think that I am just trying to get in your pants. Believe me, I want to set up permanent residence there, but I want more than that. I want to date you Mercedes. I want to be your guy. I want to know everything about you. I want to get to know Ally and I want you to get to know Zack. I know I just met you yesterday, but I cannot fight the attraction I have to you. It's like you said. We were destined to meet, and I feel we are destined to be together for a long time." She moves her eyes back to her plate and I study her. Internally, I wonder if I've said too much. Good job Sam. She thinks you are a freak now._

"_I feel a connection with you too, Sam. So, let's just see where this goes, OK?" Her eyes meet mine again and she smiles._

"_Deal." I take her hand and kiss the back of it again. "Now let me taste those green beans." She chuckles and feeds me a forkful. "Mmm good."_

"_I know. You want to try the slaw?"_

"_Sure." She feeds me some slaw and then I feed her some potato salad. We both agree that all the sides are quite tasty. As we continue our meal, we laugh and talk about our lives and our families. After finishing, Wendy offers us dessert and we both decline. I give Wendy my card and she returns with the bill so that I can sign. After I sign the bill, I place the bill face down on the table, leaving the pen on top of the slip. I look over and her and grin. "You know, at some point, I'm going to need your phone number." She smiles back and nods. She tears a paper towel from the spool on the table and then rips a corner from it. She picks up the pen, scribbles on it and then hands it over to me. I take it from her fingers and look down with a smile. Holding the paper in one hand, I slide out of the booth and hold out my other hand for her. We stroll out of the restaurant hand in hand, and this time side by side. Once we reach the car, I open the door, usher her inside and then jog around to the driver side. I slide into the seat and then lower the visor enough to tuck the paper under it._

_I walk her to her room. "I had a great time Sam. Thanks again."_

"_You're welcome beautiful." I lean against the wall and look down at her. "Too late for a nightcap?"_

"_Unfortunately, yes. I have another eight o'clock call tomorrow morning."_

"_Damn those early morning calls." I rub my chin with my finger. "Would you be interested in brunch tomorrow? I could order something from room service._

"_Are you sure? I don't want to monopolize all of your time. You don't have anything else that you need to be doing?"_

"_Yes, I am sure and no there is nothing else I need or want to do. I want to spend as much time with you as I can."_

"_Then brunch tomorrow sounds great. Say around 10:30?"_

"_10:30 it is." I lower my head as she raises hers and our lips meet. I wrap one arm around her waist as the other cups her face. She softly moans and my cock hardens but this time there is no need to slow down. This time I can and will relieve myself once I am in my room. Right now, I just want to savor the taste of her lips on mine. There is a hint of BBQ sauce still there and it tastes sweeter than it did on my sandwich. I feel her fingers toying with the hair at the nape of my neck and it is driving me wild. I suck lightly on her bottom lip before licking the ridge of her top one. She sucks lightly on my top lip before licking on the ridge of my bottom one and then snaking her tongue in my mouth. The intensity of the kiss has me feeling a bit dizzy as my hands lower to palm her ass. We continue kissing for several long moments before I feel her drawing our connection to a close. She leaves a long, wet, lingering kiss on my lips when she pulls away and clears her throat._

"_Good night Sam."_

_I lick my now kiss swollen lips before answering through a wide smile. "Good night Mercedes."_

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

I enter my apartment and slide out of my shoes. I go back to my make-shift office and settle in behind my desk. I check my schedule and see that I have another day of back to back conference calls. I pick up my phone and decide to call her, even though I don't know whether or not she is listening to my messages. She has to know that I am not giving up on us. She is too important to me. Both her and Ally are a part of my life now and if I have my way, they will both be in my life permanently.

_Mercy baby I got the key, but I don't accept it. I took it back to your house and put it in your mailbox. If you are going to break up with me, you are going to do it to my face. I'll be at the bistro, our bistro, tomorrow at eleven. Please come. Just please come. Please. I miss you._

I end the call, close my eyes and say a silent prayer. I'm not sure what I want to happen. I want to see her, but I don't want to see her tomorrow at the bistro. If she shows up, I know it will be to break up with me. If she doesn't show up, then I won't know if that is because she doesn't really want to break up with me, or, if it is because she didn't listen to my voice message, or, if she just isn't entertaining the idea of breaking up with me face-to-face. I need to be sure that she listened to the message. How can I do that? I glance down at all of the messages I have sent to her for the past couple of days and they just show the word 'Delivered' beneath them. None of them show 'Read' like they did before this all happened. I have a thought and it immediately makes me cringe. No, I won't do that. I am not stooping that low. I am not using the kids. They don't need to be involved. I'll just have to think of some other way.

* * *

A few hours later, Zack gets home and goes into his room. He comes back out a few minutes later and I see him grab his duffel bag from the hall closet. It seems like he is getting his things together to go to his mother's. I must have gotten the weekends mixed up because I thought he was going to be here this weekend. It's not a big deal. He's old enough to decide where he wants to spend his weekends. I finish up my call and then walk down the hall to his room. I notice him packing more clothes than he usually does for a weekend with his mom. "Planning on coming back anytime soon, son? I thought you were going to be here this weekend."

He keeps his eyes down toward his bag and continues stuffing clothes into it. "I thought I would stay with mom for a while." He walks over to his game console and begins unplugging it.

I am momentarily rendered speechless. He said for a while, not for the weekend. I clear my throat and watch him as he continues to unplug everything. "That's fine buddy. But can I ask why?"

"No reason. I just thought I would give you a break for a while and stay with mom."

"But I don't need or want a break from you Zack." He looks up at me for the first time since I walked to his room. His eyes are bloodshot. He's been crying. "Zack, what's wrong?"

He shakes his head and turns his face away from me. "Nothing dad."

"Yes, it's something. You've been crying. Now tell me, what's wrong?"

"It hurts dad."

"What hurts Zack?"

"I was starting to like having them around. And now that they aren't, everything has changed. It just hurts too much to be here and not be able to do the things that we used to do." My breath hitches as he drops his console on the bed, sits down and looks up at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. "Thursday nights have been my favorite night of the week since July. That's the night we always spent together. We had dinner and played cards and then me and Ally would go play a video game while you and Cedes pretended to clean the kitchen." I chuckle softly as he looks up at me with a pained expression. "It felt like we were a family dad. I felt complete. I felt like I had a sister and the best stepmom anyone could ever ask for. And now it's just gone, and it hurts." He takes a moment to catch his breath as tears roll down his cheek. "And I don't even like referring to Cedes as stepmom. That word just sounds so wrong for her. She is the best. When I stayed the night with them, it felt so right. After you called to tell us good night, she came up and told us good night and then she kissed me on my forehead. It made me feel special. It made me feel like I was important. And now, now I…."

"I'm trying Zack. I am really trying but I cannot force her to talk to me. I want to fix whatever went wrong but I don't know how to do that if she won't talk to me. I miss her too, so much. I miss them both."

He darts off the bed and his voice booms at me. "Try harder." It's the first time he has ever raised his voice to me, and I am shocked. We stand there locked in a stare before he breaks down and cries. "Why can't we be a family? Why can't she love us? What's wrong with us?" I rush forward and wrap my arms around hm. I hush him as his tears spill onto my shirt. I don't know how to answer his questions. Truth is I never knew he felt incomplete with just me. Maybe Marley was being sincere when she said that he needed a family. As his sobs subside, I take his shoulders in my hands and look him in his eyes.

"Zack, I will make you this promise. I will do whatever I have to do to fix this. I promise you. You just have to be patient son. Just give me some time."

He nods as his sniffles echo in the room. "I'm still going to go stay with mom for a while if that's OK with you."

"Of course it's OK. I will miss you and I love you."

"I love you too dad."

* * *

After dropping Zack off at his mother's, I am seated on the couch in my now empty apartment. I have a glass of scotch in one hand and my phone in the other. I've done a little detective work in order to get in touch with the only person I think can help me. I hear the phone chime and look down at the text message that has just arrived. I stand and go to the door, opening it as he reaches it.

"Thanks for coming." I extend my hand to him and he shakes it. I gesture for him to come in and then close the door. We walk into the living room. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

"No, I'm good." He takes a seat on one end of the couch. "Now tell me what's going on."

"She just stopped talking to me. Completely out of the blue. We were planning to meet for lunch for our usual Wednesday date. I called her as I was leaving my office and told her I was on my way. She said OK and that she would see me when I got there, but when I got there she was gone. She told the waiter to tell me goodbye. I started calling her immediately, but all my calls were going straight to voice mail. I sent her text messages too, but I don't know that she has received or read them. I went straight to her house after leaving the bistro, but she didn't come home that night, or she came after I left. Yesterday, I went to her house, but she wouldn't open the door. She just kept telling me to leave. So, I had to talk to her through the door. Then today, she had a messenger return my key. I took it right back to her house and put it in her mailbox. I'm not giving up without a fight. I just keep leaving voice messages and sending text messages, but I am not getting any type of response."

"OK, wait a minute. So, you two didn't have any type of argument?"

"No, the last time I spoke to her everything was fine. I was on my way to meet her for lunch."

"This definitely doesn't sound like her. It almost seems like she got scared or something."

"But scared of what?" I pause as my mind races. "She hasn't said anything to you? I mean I know that I have no right to ask you to break any confidences you two may have, but I'm going crazy here man. My son broke down and cried today. That's how much he misses her and Ally, and it's only been two days. I don't know how to fix whatever is wrong because she won't talk to me."

"She hasn't said anything to me. But let's see if I can get something out of her." He takes his phone out of his pocket, then stills and looks over at me. "I like you Sam. You are good for her. You make her happy and I know Ally thinks the world of you too. But just so you know, my only loyalty is to her and Ally." I nod and he moves his eyes back to his phone. He puts the phone on speaker and brings his index finger to his mouth letting me know to stay quiet.

"Hey Spence"

"Hey Merce. How are you?"

"I'm OK."

"Just OK?"

"Yeah just OK."

"Why is that? You are usually great or good. What's wrong?"

"Seriously Spence, I'm fine. Let me get Ally for you."

"No, I called to talk to you and it's a good thing I did because something is wrong. Now, you can either talk to me about it over the phone, or I will be on my way to your house."

"It's complicated."

"So uncomplicate it. Start from the beginning."

"It's not that simple."

"OK, so let's try it this way. Is it work?"

"No."

"Is it your family?"

"No."

"Is it your health?"

"No."

"Is it Sam?"

(Silence)

"So, it's Sam. What happened? Do I need to kick his ass?"

"No." She chuckles softly and I tear up. I miss that sound.

"OK, so I'm confused. What has you down then?"

"I broke up with him."

"What? When did this happen?"

"A couple of days ago."

"Why did you break up with him?"

"It just wasn't going to work out between us."

"What does that even mean, Merce? I mean what does he have to say about this?"

"I haven't talked to him."

"He hasn't called you?"

"He has called and left voice messages and sent text messages, but I am not responding to him."

"Why not? What are his messages saying?"

"That he misses me and to talk to him."

"So why won't you talk to him? I have to say I'm completely confused as to why you broke up with him, so I'm sure he is too. Did something happen with him that you aren't sharing with me?"

"No, look Spence, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I need to move on and forget about him."

"Merce, listen, you are not going to be able to move on until you talk to him. Just give him that. You can't go about this hiding in the shadows. If you really want to move on from him, you need to look him in the eye and tell him that."

"You're right, I know. He sent me a message earlier that he is going to our bistro tomorrow."

"Then respond to him that you will meet him there. Be an adult about it and face him. Sure, it will be hard, but it will be better in the long run."

"I'll think about it."

"Either that or respond to his messages."

"No, I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Spencer, I swear you can be such a pain in the ass sometimes, but I have to tell you that you are the best ex-hubby in the world. Thanks for checking on me."

"Nice way to change the subject Merce, but it's easy to be the best ex-hubby when my ex-wifey is you. I am going to let it go for now, but this conversation isn't over love."

"I know it's not. Give Alistair a hug for me."

"Will do. Tell Ally I'll be there to pick her up in an hour. Love you."

"OK, love you back."

Spencer ends the call and then looks over at me. "There you go." He slides his phone back into his pocket. "For what it's worth, I'm just as confused as you are. It sounds like she misses you, even though she didn't say it. I'll keep trying to get her to talk to me about why she broke up with you. But I have to warn you, she is stubborn. It's going to take time, how much, I have no idea."

"Thanks Spencer. I really appreciate you doing this for me." I stand and shake his hand again. I escort him to the door and after he leaves, I fall back down on the couch. Now I just have to wait and see if she reaches out to me.

* * *

After a quick dinner of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, I take a shower and then climb under the covers. I'm completely out of sorts. She hasn't reached out to me. The apartment is quiet and lonely. She has been my life all day, every day for the last three months. I don't know what I am supposed to do to get through this. We've had only one disagreement our entire relationship and that lasted for only a few hours. She didn't shut me out then, she talked to me, well yelled at me in fact, until we resolved the issue. Man, how I wish she would just yell at me now. A chime sounds from my phone and I jump up to check to see if it's her. I take it from the nightstand and stare at the screen in confusion.

_**September 5**__**th**_

The sender shows as 'Unknown' with '(000) 000-0000' listed as the phone number. What are these dates? First November 27th and now September 5th. Neither of the dates mean anything to me. These dates mean something to someone and apparently, they are supposed to mean something to me too but I'm not picking up on it. And honestly, I don't have time for riddles right now. I place the phone back on my nightstand and try to get some sleep.


	12. Reckless Assumptions

**Thanks to all for the reviews, favs and follows. I do read the reviews and see the questions that some are asking but I am purposely not addressing any of them directly because I want to keep you wondering….**

**I've been writing this story, as well as three others, since early last year. I originally was not going to post any of my stories until they were finished. There are just too many stories here that are left unfinished and I didn't want to add to that count. I chose to post this one first because it was the 'most' complete in my mind. My ability to quickly add new chapters in the beginning was due to those chapters already being done. Fortunately, I've got the next five chapters ready. I give them a final read and any needed edits at the time that I upload, so the next five should be uploaded within the next few days. Now having said all that, ****I vow to you that I will not let this story go unfinished.**** I won't be away for more than a week at a time, God willing, until it is marked Complete. I mean where can I go or what else is there for me to do? Nowhere and nothing, that's what. So, I'll be 'social distancing' myself into my SamCedes world.**

**Please Be Safe and Stay Healthy**

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Saturday September 12th

I wake up and stare at the ceiling. My first thought as usual is of her. I pick up my phone from the nightstand to see no calls or messages. I exhale deeply and then open my pictures to see her face. As I swipe, I stop at one that takes me back to when we met.

_**********FLASHBACK Tuesday June 9th**********_

_I knock on her slightly ajar adjoining door. "Brunch is here beautiful." I park the cart next to the small couch in my room._

"_Be right there." I hear her voice softly call out from inside her room._

_I take the opportunity to use the bathroom while waiting for her. After I wash my hands, I walk back into the room and find her seated at the small dining table. She has placed both covered plates on it, along with our juice glasses, cups of coffee, flatware and napkins. "Hey there." I approach her and place a soft kiss on her lips, before moving to the chair across from her. She removes the lids from our plates as I sit down._

"_Hey you. Thanks for this. Everything looks delicious."_

"_Sure, and yes it does." We take a few bites of our food. "So, how many more calls do you have today?"_

"_Two. Hopefully they will go as smoothly as my one this morning did." She takes a sip of apple juice and then looks over at me. "What are you going to do today?_

"_I was thinking of getting a little work done myself. That was originally my plan for the week before you walked into my life." I smile and wink at her as I take a bite of my bacon._

"_You don't want to go out and see the city?" I watch as she eats a forkful of her eggs._

_I swallow the sip of coffee I just took and shake my head. "I've seen it."_

"_Well, you could go shopping or see a movie or something?"_

"_Alone? Nah, I'll pass on that, but there is this Mexican restaurant I'd like to go to tonight. I remember you said it was your favorite. How's that sound?"_

"_Sounds good."_

_We finish our food and then she moves to go back to her room for her next call. Before she leaves, she leans over and gives me several short, deep lingering kisses. I try to pull her into my lap to lengthen them, but she resists. I reluctantly give up, and lightly tap her ass when she turns. As I pull my hand away, I see for the first time what she is wearing, but most importantly, the affirmation splayed across her glorious ass. SEXY. No truer word could ever accurately describe the sight before me. As she nears the adjoining door, I unlock my phone and take a quick picture. Then I can't resist letting her know that I completely agree. "Amen!" I hear her giggles as she disappears into her room._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

I arrive at Pandillo's at a quarter before the hour. I take a seat at our table on the patio and look up to see the one thing that could give me the answer I need. A security camera. It's perched high in the ceiling in the corner of the patio and seems to be in a position that would capture the entire area. I close my eyes and say a small prayer of thanks and then open them to meet the eyes of our usual waiter, Max.

"Hey Max."

"Hi Mr. Sam, is Ms. Cedes joining you?"

"I'm not sure. You were off the last time we were to have lunch, and something happened that caused her to leave before I arrived, so I haven't talked to her since that morning."

"Oh no. What happened?"

"That's what I have been trying to figure out since Wednesday. I notice you have a security camera there." I point at the dark orb protruding out of the ceiling. "Is it possible for me to see the video from that camera for this past Wednesday from 11:30 to noon?"

He nods excitedly and my insides flutter. "Let me see what I can do. What can I get you to drink in the meantime?" I order a glass of iced tea and he hurries away, returning a few seconds later with my drink and telling me he will check with the manager about the camera's footage. I'm excited, anxious and nervous all at the same time. Please, please have the footage. I take a sip from the glass and try to busy myself while waiting for Max to return. I glance at my watch and see that it's ten minutes before the hour. I want to see her walk through those patio doors, but then again, I don't want to see her. She hasn't contacted me at all since her conversation with Spencer. I don't know if that is a good sign, or a bad one, or no sign at all. I remember Spencer's words from last evening. She's stubborn and it is going to take some time for her to talk to me. I think I'm a pretty patient man, but when it comes to her, my patience is tried. I cannot have Zack in the state he is in for very much longer. I can only imagine how Ally is doing. I wish I could reach out to her and make her understand how much we miss her and her mom. I pick up my phone to distract my thoughts away from the kids. That's the quickest way to bring me to tears. I open my pictures and swipe through them. It seems like this is all I do these days. One of my favorites appears on the screen and I smile as I think about the night we took it.

_**********FLASHBACK Tuesday June 9__th**********_

"_Do you know how sexy you look tonight?"_

"_Stop it Sam."_

"_Stop what? I'm serious. No woman has ever worn a pair of jeans and a tank top and looked as sexy as you do right this minute."_

"_Thank you." I glance over at her and notice her smile to herself. "So, what's the name of this restaurant we are going to?"_

"_It's called Boca Fiesta. It's gotten rave reviews. They prepare their famous guacamole table-side."_

"_I'm not a fan of guacamole but it sounds cool." I reach over, grab her hand and wrap it in mine. "Can we go Dutch tonight?"_

"_Absolutely not. My treat."_

"_You treated last night."_

"_And your point would be?"_

"_That we each pay for our own meals tonight."_

"_Nope. I'm courting you. I'm putting my best foot forward. This is a bonafide date and I am picking up the tab."_

"_I don't recall you asking me out on a date tonight."_

"_Didn't I? Well, let me fix that right now. Mercedes, will you have dinner with me tonight?"_

"_You are impossible."_

"_And you are breathtaking." I glance over at her, and notice her roll her eyes while smiling the whole time. "So is that a yes."_

"_Yes, it's a yes, but I won't back down this easy all the time."_

"_We'll just see about that." She laughs out loud as I pull into a space near the front of the restaurant. I bring her hand up to my mouth and kiss it before releasing it to turn off the engine. We exit the car and I grab her hand again as we walk toward the entrance. Once inside, we are seated at another booth and like our previous night, I slide into the booth beside her. Our waiter appears and asks for our drink orders._

"_I think I am going to get a margarita tonight." She looks up at the waiter. "Which flavor do you recommend?"_

"_Raspberry is a crowd pleaser, but I personally prefer mango."_

_I watch her try to decide which one to order and smile. "Bring us one of each please, and two glasses of water." She looks over at me and I wink._

"_Yes sir."_

_I quickly look down at the menu and then over at her again. I can tell she wants to say something. "What?"_

"_Just trying to choose my words carefully." She giggles as she looks down to study the menu. I smile at her. "So, I think I am going to have a beef chimichanga." She looks over at me with a slight smirk on her face. "What are you going to order?"_

_I chuckle at her. "Carne Asada. Have you ever had it?"_

"_No, I haven't. What is it?"_

"_Strips of steak with lots of spices and seasoning usually, but I don't know how they make it here. I guess I'll find out soon enough." She nods and places the menu on the table in front of her. The waiter reappears with our drinks and some chips and salsa, and then takes our orders. Once he leaves, I take a sip of the mango margarita and then slide it over to her as she slides the raspberry margarita to me. "Which one do you like?"_

"_I like them both, but I think the mango is better."_

"_They both are tasty, but you are right I think the mango one is better too." She tries to slide the mango back to me and I stop her. "No, you keep it. I'm good with this one."_

"_You sure?"_

"_Yes." I lean over and kiss the tip of her nose. "You have calls tomorrow?"_

"_Yes, but just two and then I am off until Monday."_

"_Awesome. So, does that mean I get you all to myself for the rest of the week?"_

"_Yes, at least until we meet back up with the kids on Saturday."_

"_Speaking of the kids, Zack wants to go to Dave and Buster's before we leave. Would you and Ally like to join us?"_

"_Sure. When are you guys heading home?"_

"_Sunday. We will probably try to get a jump on traffic." I stir the drink with my straw. "When do you two leave?"_

"_Sunday as well. Our flight is at 8:15."_

"_Need a ride to the airport?"_

"_Sam, that's not necessary. We can have the shuttle take us."_

"_Yes, you could, but you could also humor me and let me take you."_

"_Sure, as long as it's not a problem."_

"_No problem at all beautiful." I take a couple of drinks from my glass. "What are we going to tell the kids?"_

"_We tell them that we have spent the entire week together and want to continue to spend time together when we are all back in Atlanta. Ally will be happy. She tells me that I need to date more anyway."_

"_Well, I'll have to let her know that from now on she should be saying that you need to date ME more."_

_She giggles. "You do that." She takes a sip of her drink. "What about Zack? How will he feel about you dating again?"_

"_I think he will be fine with it. He has been talking my ear off about how cool Ally is. When he finds out that you and I are going to start dating he will be ecstatic to know that he will get to see her on a regular basis."_

"_Yeah, I know. Ally has been going on and on about Zack's superman collection. She even suggested that when I do eventually take her to Metropolis that we bring him along."_

"_Hey, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think we should plan it." The waiter returns with our food and we dine on our dishes. She tries some of my carne asada and I try some of her chimichanga. As we finish our meals, I take out my phone and hold it up to snap a selfie of us. She playfully puffs her cheeks out as she kisses me on the jaw while I wear a wide smile on my face. We decline dessert and I pay the bill. As we leave the restaurant, I wrap her up in my arms and plant a hard, wet kiss on her lips. "Sometimes I just can't help myself." She grins up at me and kisses me softly on the lips as my hands travel down to palm her ass. "Besides, I wanted to get one last taste of that mango margarita." She swats me lightly on the chest as she turns and pulls me toward the car._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

I feel a tap on my shoulder and look up to see Max looking down at me with concern. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said are you alright? I called your name several times, but you didn't acknowledge me."

I nod my head a few times. "Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just lost in the thought." I clear my throat and study his body language. "So, what did you find out about the footage? Can I see it?"

He lowers his eyes as a small frown forms. "Unfortunately, that particular camera is not working. We have one at the front entrance and one over the bar area, but nothing out here on the patio."

I slam my fists on the table and exhale gruffly causing him to jump back a little. I shake my head and place my hands on my lap. "I'm sorry Max. I'm upset but not at you." I exhale again and look over at him. "Is it possible for me to see the footage that you do have for that time?"

His eyes seem to slightly brighten. "Yes, Naomi, the manager, says you can view what we have. I told her about what happened, and she is curious to know as well. In case you hadn't realized it, we love you two here and have been taking bets on when she would come in sporting an engagement ring." He grins as he clasps his hands together.

I feel my face get hot and then I chuckle. "I had no idea." I smile and shake my head. "But believe me, that's definitely on my list of things to do." Then my smile fades. "I've got to get her talking to me again first."

"You will. I know it. She loves you just as much as you love her." I'm stunned by his words and look at him with my lips slightly parted. "Ah, you haven't gotten that far yet? But you do, and if you don't know it, she does too."

"How do you know that?"

"Her eyes when she sees you, and your eyes when she is near, because they never seem to leave her." He studies me for a few seconds. "Am I wrong?"

I shake my head. "I do, but I don't know for sure that she does. We've never said it to each other."

He nods. "You need to take care of that as soon as you can." I glance down at my watch, it's 11:40. "What time are you expecting her?"

"I was expecting her at 11:00. She didn't come." _She didn't come. _Does that mean she doesn't really want to break up with me? It's the only conclusion that I am willing to draw. She didn't meet me because she just needs some time. I can give her that. I look back over at Max, whose eyes are sad. "It's OK Max. I wasn't sure I wanted her to show up anyway." Confusion reads on his face as I stand. "I'd like to take a look at that footage now though."

He nods slowly. "Sure, follow me." As I follow him, I send Spencer a quick message letting him know that she was a no-show. He answers back that he knew she wouldn't come, but to give her time. Even though it's small, I take it as the best news I've had in three days.

* * *

After reviewing the footage, albeit useless, and getting words of encouragement from both Max and Naomi, I decide to go to the mansion to work out. There's no reason to be at the apartment right now, and with Zack being gone it just feels emptier. At least at the mansion, the staff will be around. Ms. Percy greets me as I enter the door.

"Hello Mr. Sam. I didn't realize you would be coming today sir. Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

"No, ma'am. I'm going to go to the gym for a while, but I would like dinner in a few hours."

"Anything in particular sir?"

"No, just surprise me."

"Yes sir." Ms. Percy turns to leave the room but stops. "You had a delivery by messenger earlier this morning. I placed the envelope on your desk."

"Ok. Thank you Ms. Percy."

"Yes sir." She leaves and I walk into my office to retrieve the envelope. It's plain white with just my name and address on the front. There isn't a return address listed and the envelope has 'Personal and Confidential' stamped at the bottom edge in red letters. I pick it up and notice that it appears to be empty. I tear the top edge and open it to find a small piece of folded white paper. I start to unfold the paper and see 'December 18th' written at the top. Oh great, more random dates. I move to drop the paper on the desk but see what looks like more writing toward the bottom of the paper, so I bring it back toward me and completely open it. My mind begins to race. Written there are the words 'Everything is not as it seems' in one corner and then 'MINE' in the opposite one. I quickly recall the other dates: November 27th and September 5th. Keeping those in mind and adding the newest one, I still come up with nothing. Are these future dates or are they dates from the past that should hold some significance for me? In my mind, I quickly scan through birthdays, anniversaries and any other milestones I can think of, but nothing connects to these dates. I look down at the paper again and the word 'MINE' catches my attention. Does this have something to do with Mercy? If it does, then these are definitely future dates. But who would be saying 'MINE' about Mercy other than me? A thought hits me and I am immediately furious. Could it be him? But how would he know my cell phone number or the address here at the mansion? I ball up the paper and throw it across the room. It can't be him. There is no way. I shake my head as I realize what I'm doing. I'm making an assumption and getting worked up about it without any real evidence. I'm not making that mistake again. But mark my words, if that damn Nicholas AKA Carter is behind this, he will regret it.

I click off my office light and walk up the steps to my bedroom to change into some workout clothes. As I change and try to clear my mind, I realize I haven't called or texted her since early yesterday. I grab my phone and send her a message.

_**Mercy I miss you so much. I wish you would talk to me. I was hoping that I would see you at the bistro today but then again I was hoping that you wouldn't show up. I'm a mess baby. I want to fix whatever is wrong but you have to tell me what's wrong so I can fix it. Please talk to me.**_

I press the send button and then drop the phone on my bed. How much longer can I do this? It's only been a few days, but I feel like it's been months. After tying my shoes, I grab my phone and go down to the gym. I have to get my mind off of this, and the random dates, if only for a few hours.

* * *

After my workout, I shower and then grab my guitar. I sit down on my bed and scoot back until my back is against the headboard. I close my eyes and strum a few chords. I begin to play, nothing in particular, but every note breaks a little bit of me. I think back to her singing in my room that first night. What was that song? I don't know how it would sound played on a guitar, but I make it a mission to remember the song and play it before the night is over. I hum the melody as it comes to me and the try to remember the words. Sweet thing. That's it. I grab my phone and go to YouTube to look it up. Once I find a video, I press play and it immediately sounds familiar. I listen to the song several times and play along until I have perfected it. I could never sing this song, but I think me playing it would mean something to her. I position my phone on the nightstand and begin recording. Once I've finished the recording and saved the video, I attach it and a message of my own to send to her.

_**You're my everything Mercy.**_

I press the send button as the tears roll down my face. I need to tell her I love her, but I don't want the first time to be over text message. She needs to know, but as every minute passes I feel emptier and like it is too late. I've got to do something. I need a distraction. Maybe I'll call up the guys and see if anyone wants to go out tonight.

About an hour later, I am downstairs eating the dinner that Ms. Percy has prepared. I feel like the loneliest person in the world, but I do have a planned distraction for the evening. I was able to talk a few friends into going out for the evening. My phone chimes and I look over and notice a message from my college buddy Randy.

_**So what is the plan for the night**_

_**I don't care man. I just need to get out.**_

_**Strip club**_

_**NO!**_

_**Boooo**_

_**Let's go shoot some pool and have a few beers**_

_**OK. Rexy's?**_

_**Yeah. Meet you there around 9**_

_**K. I'll tell the others Later**_

I finish up my meal and then go upstairs to get dressed. Once I have straightened my room back up, I let Ms. Percy know that I am leaving. It's only 7:30 but I am tired of being inside. I climb into my car and then just drive.

* * *

After about an hour, I look up and realize that I have been driving around aimlessly for over an hour. I make a U-turn and then re-direct my car to Rexy's. When I arrive at the bar, I pull into a space and then turn off the engine. I stare at the steering wheel for several minutes. I don't feel like doing this. All of a sudden, I feel like I need to be at her front door pleading my case. I'm sad and horny as hell. Even to my weary mind, I know that is a recipe for disaster. Add to that the kind of atmosphere that I am getting ready to enter into, and I know that I've got to prevent myself from doing anything stupid tonight. I'll just have a couple of beers.

Once I've reached my two-beer limit, I take a seat on a bar stool and watch as my friends, Randy and Jeff, finish their game. Andrew is off to the side with his face buried in his phone. I know by the look on his face that he is being interrogated by his wife. Anytime he gets away to hang out with us, his wife keeps him occupied. I glance up at the television perched high on the wall. Georgia Tech is getting their asses handed to them by Tennessee. As I continue to tune into the game, a soft voice interrupts me. "Hi there handsome."

I look over and meet a pair of pale blue-grey eyes. She has blond shoulder length hair and plush shiny lips. "Evening." I offer her a timid smile and then re-direct my attention back to the television.

"Buy a gal a beer?"

I chuckle at her request, but keep my eyes tuned to the television. "Doesn't the guy usually offer to buy the girl a drink?"

"Yeah usually, but you didn't seem to get that memo."

"Oh, I got the memo, but I only adhere to it when I want to."

"So, you're saying you don't want to buy little ole me a beer?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. No offense." I finally look in her direction and nod.

"None taken handsome." She orders her own beer as I look back up at the football game. After a few moments, I feel her eyes on me again. "So, you interested in getting out of here?"

"No thanks."

"What's your deal? Are you gay?"

I look her directly in her eyes. "No, I'm not. I'm just not interested."

She studies me for a minute and then points her index finger at me. "You got a girl."

"Indeed I do."

"Well honey that don't matter. I'm just looking for a good time. No strings. She doesn't even have to know."

"Well, I'm not the one for just a good time, but good luck in your search." I stand, glare down at her and slap the bar counter lightly. "Have a good evening." I re-join the guys as Jeff sinks the eight ball.

"Pay up loser!"

"Fuck you. That was a lucky shot."

"Luck, no luck. You lost. That will be $100." Randy pulls out his wallet as Jeff holds out his hand. He slaps the bill in his hand and then playfully punches Jeff in the gut.

"So, Sammy boy. Who's the looker?" Jeff lifts his chin in the direction of the bar and I follow his eyes.

"I didn't catch her name but she's looking for a good time. Now that you are $100 richer, why don't you show her one?"

"You passed that up? Aren't you and your girl broken up?"

"Not officially."

"Yes officially. She won't even talk to you. Listen to me, you got to get back on the saddle man. And that little thoroughbred looks like a good place to start."

"I'm not interested. Me and Mercy are taking a short break. We will be back on track soon and I am not taking a chance on messing that up."

"Whatever you say son, but I think you are going to regret turning her down. But hey, your loss is my gain. Now, if you lads will excuse me." He strolls over to the bar and takes the seat that I had been sitting in, to talk her up. Within minutes, he waves as the two of them exit the bar.

"Well guys Laura is texting me, so I got to get going. Keep your head up Sammy boy. It will all work out soon." Andrew slaps me lightly on the shoulder as he downs the rest of his beer. Randy and I wave to him as he leaves.

"You know things are just kicking up at BJC. Sure you don't wanna go?"

"Yeah, I'm sure but you go and have a good time. I'm ready to head home anyway."

"Alright man. Call me if you change your mind. Later." He heads out of the bar and I decide that I am going to have one more beer. While waiting for the bartender to bring my beer, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to meet a pair of familiar eyes. Eyes I thought I would never see again.

_**********FLASHBACK Wednesday June 10__th**********_

"_I'm all done with work. Let's go to the pool." She walks over to me as I sit at the desk in my room. I've been reading over some emails while she finished up with her calls. She is wearing a pair of short black knit shorts and a tank top. Her hair is a mess of tight curls and her feet are bare. I take in her appearance as she seemingly floats towards me. She is looking down at her phone and not paying any attention at the lustful look I'm throwing her way._

_I slide my hand around her waist and position her between my knees the moment she is close enough for me to grab her. "You look so fucking sexy right now." I lock her in place with my knees and bring my other hand up to wrap around her waist as well. I nestle my head against her soft belly as my hands slowly caress her ass._

"_I could say the same about you." She twists and then sits on my lap with one arm draped over my shoulder. "Like I said, I'm done with work, and it's nice out, so let's go to the pool." She kisses my lips._

"_If you think I am going to say no at the chance to see you in a bathing suit, you're crazy." I plant several soft kisses on her neck. "Should we eat something before we go?"_

"_We can get something from the restaurant downstairs I'm sure." She kisses me again and then stands. My hands linger on her ass until she has moved out of my grasp._

"_Alright, let's do it." She nods and goes into her room. I power down my laptop and then change into my swim trunks and a t-shirt. I sit down on the bed and lean back on my elbows as I wait for her to finish changing. After about fifteen minutes I stand and knock on the adjoining door to check on her. "Hey, you ready beautiful?" I push the door open a little until I hear her voice._

"_I'm ready." I walk into her room and look at her. My mouth immediately goes dry. She is wearing a canary yellow two-piece. The bottoms are high-cut at her waist and the top is tied around her neck and has a peek-a-boo center, showing off the valley between her breasts. She has her hair up in a messy bun with a pair of sunglasses adorning it. "How do I look?"_

"_I can show you better than I can tell you." My eyes travel down to her feet and then back up again to meet her eyes as I purposely adjust my cock and moan. "Exquisite." She smiles and then turns to gather something from the bed. I get my first look at her ass in this suit and I feel like I could explode any minute. It has to be against the law for a woman with a body like hers to where a bathing suit like that out in public. And at that very thought, my possessive streak rears its ugly head. "Aren't you going to wear a wrap or something?"_

"_As a matter of fact, I am." She regards me with a 'what-the-fuck-do-you-mean' expression as she wraps the garment around her waist and then ties it on one side. "But only until we get to the pool." She grabs her bag and her phone and then starts toward the door. "You ready?"_

_I nod and follow her. The entire ride down in the elevator my mind is occupied on all the leering she is going to garner when we get to the pool. The women will be jealous and the men will be predatory. I have to figure out how to play this. I cannot give her my usual 'you're mine' speech, it's much too early for that. But I am definitely not going to be OK watching other men's eyes all over her body._

"_What's wrong?" Her voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I stare at her for a few moments. "You look like something is troubling you." I shake my head at her and hold the door with my hand as she exits the elevator. We arrive at the pool and find a table in the far corner. She places her phone and bag down on the table and then takes off her wrap in one fluid motion. My eyes immediately dart around us to see who is looking at her. Much to my chagrin, every red-blooded male at the pool is glaring at her. Some with their mouths wide-open. I grab her hand and pull her down on my lap in an effort to tell them to back the fuck off. I wrap my hand around her neck and pull her mouth to mine. My kiss is hard and feverish as I try to make sure to drive the point home to our audience. When I pull away, she smiles and kisses me softly on the cheek before standing and stepping into the pool._

"_Hey baby. What do you want to eat? I'll go place our order."_

"_How about a BLT and some lemonade? If no lemonade, then iced tea will do."_

_I lie down on the ground and kiss her. "Coming right up. Be right back." I stand and walk inside to the restaurant. After placing our order, I look out the window at the pool and notice her talking to a couple of guys at the opposite end of the pool. Shit. I keep my eyes trained on them and watch as she smiles and laughs at whatever they are saying to her. I swear it seems to me that she is flirting. My order is called and I collect the bag and make my way back out to the pool. "Mercedes." I say her name loudly, almost too loud and then hold the bag up shaking it in the air._

"_I'll be right there."_

_I go over to the table and wait for her to join me. After almost five minutes, I'm angry. She is keeping me waiting so she can talk and flirt with them? No fuck that. I've suddenly lost my appetite and don't feel like getting in the pool. I stand and walk toward the door leading back into the hotel. I glance over my shoulder and see that she hasn't even noticed me. I roll my eyes and enter the hotel. I go straight to the lounge and order a shot of tequila. I down it quickly and then order another. How could she treat me like that? I thought she wanted to date me but maybe I was mistaken. I order another shot and after downing it, I order a whiskey sour. Maybe I'm overreacting. I mean she has spent every available second with me since Sunday. She's just friendly and being social. But how could she leave me waiting for her for that long while she talked and laughed with them? Maybe I'm coming on too strong. Or maybe I've gotten too attached to her too quickly. I take the last drink of my whiskey and tell the bartender to bill my room. I walk back to the pool area and notice that she is no longer there. The two guys she was talking to are gone too. Where did she go? Her bag, phone and the food are gone too. I get on the elevator to make my way up to the rooms. As I round the corner, I see her enter her room with the two of them following behind her, all of them still laughing. You've got to be kidding me! What the fuck is going on here? Did she really just bring two random guys up to her room? This has got to be some kind of joke. I contemplate knocking on her door to confront them but then think better of it. I enter my room, close the adjoining door and then change into a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. I hear their muffled laughs through the wall. I feel my anger growing and decide that I need to get away before I do something stupid._

_I find my way to a bar a few blocks over from the hotel and take up residence at the counter. I order a beer and something to eat as I keep my eyes trained on the cute brunette bartender. Her ass in the short denim skirt she is wearing has me licking my lips. "Hey pretty lady, can I get another one?"_

_Her green eyes meet mine and she smiles. "Sure thing handsome. Coming right up." She winks at me before turning to retrieve a beer from the ice chest under the counter. She walks toward me and then sets the bottle down in front of me. "Anything else I can get ya?"_

_My eyes lower and lock on her cleavage. She is wearing a sleeveless low-cut red blouse. "What time do you get off?"_

"_Eleven."_

"_Could I interest you in a night cap? I'm staying at the Marriott a few blocks from here, room number 522. Name's Sam." I hold out my hand to shake hers._

_She licks her lips and leans forward slightly. "Sure, I could go for a night cap Sam." She arches her eyebrow as her hand locks with mine. "I'm Lacey."_

_After leaving the bar, I drive around the city for a few hours and then end up at a park. It's only 7:00 and I don't want to go back to the hotel yet. I give Zack a call to check in on how his week is going and then decide to grab a burger for dinner. I sit in my car and eat as I try to figure out how I'm going to get through the rest of the week. Maybe it will work itself out. Maybe she will just be gone by the time I get back. Although I feel a pang in my heart at that thought, I will have to get over it. She just doesn't want me. I finish my food and then lay my head back against the head rest, drifting off to sleep. I'm awakened by a knock on my window. _

"_You OK buddy?"_

_I let the window down partially. "Yes. I must have nodded off." The good Samaritan nods and walks away. _

_I glance over at the clock on the dashboard and see that it is nearing 9:30. I go back to the bar and order a couple more beers as I watch Lacey in her element. About an hour later, I am back at the hotel in my room. I've stripped out of my clothes and am just wearing my briefs. I have the light on the bedside table dimmed. I try to focus on the fun I am about to have but my eyes continue to be drawn to the door that separates our rooms. I haven't heard any movement from her side, so I assume that she went out with her two new suitors. I pound the side of my fist into the bed next to me. Where did I go wrong? I thought she was the one. It still feels like she is, but I know what I saw. I hear the faint sound of a door closing. I sit up in the bed and then look down at the crack underneath the door as light appears. I see her shadow on the other side. She's back. My heartbeat begins to race as I listen for any voices. A soft knock comes instead. I lie back on the bed._

"_Sam?" Her voice is low. "Are you there?"_

_I clear my throat. "Yeah."_

_She pushes the door open and steps into the room. She is dressed in a lavender halter dress with her hair down and still curly. "I've been looking for you. I'm sorry about earlier. I froze." I narrow my eyes at her as she continues. "I didn't expect to see them, and I wasn't sure how to make the introductions." She chuckles. "I mean how do you introduce your ex-husband and his husband to a man that you've only known for a few days, but one that you are completely falling for?" She smiles down at the floor as she fidgets with her fingers. "I froze. I was hoping they would leave but they didn't and then you did. I looked up and noticed you were gone, so I told them I had to go but they insisted on walking me back to my room."_

"_Wait. You mean that was your ex-husband and I'm sorry, his husband?"_

"_Yeah. Not really an introduction I've ever made before. My ex is Spencer. He was the bald guy with the arm band tattoo. The other guy, Alistair, is his husband." She looks up at me and shrugs her shoulders. "I'll admit that I handled the whole thing poorly and I'm sorry. I've been looking for you though. I've knocked and called this room multiple times and you never gave me your cell phone number." I sit up in the bed and motion for her to come over to me. She does and sits on the edge of the bed next to me. "Sam I am so sorry. Please tell me that you forgive me."_

"_Of course, I forgive you beautiful. And I'm sorry too."_

"_What for?"_

"_For thinking the worst of you. When I got back with our food, I was angry that you blew me off to talk to them. Then when you stayed there with them, I got mad and left. I went to the bar. After a few shots, I came back to the pool, but you all were gone. I made my way up here just in time to see the three of you entering your room. I was floored. I thought the worst of you and I'm sorry for that. I came in, changed and then went to another bar a few blocks over and had a few beers. After that I just drove around until I ended up at a park where I fell asleep in my car. I should have handled it better too." I rub my index finger down her jaw line and then take her chin in my hands. I pull her face toward me and kiss her lips. She moans softly into my mouth and I push her back onto the bed. I nestle myself between her legs as I kiss and suck on her neck. Suddenly I feel an urgent pressure in my bladder and sigh angrily. "Don't move. I gotta pee. All those beers are finally catching up with me." I give her lips a few pecks and then kiss the tip of her nose as she giggles and swats me on my behind. I jump off her and run into the bathroom. As I relieve myself, there is a knock at the door. Shit. Oh shit. Shit! That's Lacey. Mercedes yells something out to me, no doubt that she will get it, and I hurry to stop her but I'm too late._

"_Hi, is Sam here?" I exit the bathroom just in time to see the grimace on Mercedes' face. Lacey looks up at me and smiles. "Hey there handsome. I'm ready for that night cap."_

"_Um…" Mercedes backs away from the door and my eyes follow hers as she scans my body clad in only my briefs. Then her eyes burn into mine with an intensity that I have never felt before in my life. "I'm sorry Sam. I didn't realize you were waiting for someone. Please forgive the intrusion. I'll leave you two alone." She turns and walks back toward the adjoining doors. _

"_Mercedes, wa-" Not looking back, she walks through the door and closes it behind her._

"_Are you going to invite me in?"_

"_Um yeah, sure. Come in." She walks into the room and walks over to the bed. She lies on her side and kicks her heels off. My eyes trail back over to the door that Mercedes just closed, and a sudden jolt of remorse hits me. Wait a minute. What am I doing? Why didn't I follow her? What the fuck is wrong with me? "Actually, Lacey I'm sorry. I shouldn't have invited you here. I wasn't thinking clearly. You should go."_

"_Go? Now why would I do that?" She stands and pushes her skirt down to the floor. "Come on over here handsome. I'll make you forget all about her."_

"_No, you have to leave." I tightly fold my arms on my chest as I glare over at her. "Now!"_

"_Are you fucking kidding me?"_

"_No, I'm not. Please leave now or I will have to call security."_

"_Fuck you buddy!" She steps back into her skirt and snatches her heels up off the floor. I open the door for her. "Have a nice life asshole."_

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm just in town visiting my folks." She takes the seat next to me at the bar. "You know I never thought I would see you again."

"Yeah I know. I'm sorry how that all went down this past summer."

"Hey, it's OK. I get it. You and your girl had a fight and you went to drown your sorrows at a bar. But that's what happened then. Now here you are again with that same look of sorrow in a bar. More trouble?"

"No, we're fine."

"Cause I never did get that night cap, so I'm totally up for it now if you are." She winks at me as she begins to rub my thigh. I push her hand away. "Oh, come on Sam. You are attracted to me. I'm attracted to you. What's the harm in a little fun? Besides, I'll be gone on Monday and I know how to be discreet." She places her hand back on my thigh, winks and smiles at me.

I study her eyes, they really are beautiful, as I take her hand and stand.

"Look Lacey I'm not available and not interested." I release her hand. "I'm sorry I led you on back then, but I am not going to make the same mistake now." I place money on the counter to pay for my beer and then look back over at her as I leave. "You take care now."

* * *

As I climb into the car to make my way back to the apartment, my thoughts go back to that night after I asked Lacey to leave. I was flipping out. I couldn't find Mercy anywhere and I just knew everything was over for us.

_**********FLASHBACK Wednesday June 10__th__/Thursday June 11__th**********_

_I slam the door shut behind Lacey and rush over to the adjoining door. I fling it open and am met with darkness. The room is still and quiet. "Mercedes." I go over to the light and flip on the switch. She's not here. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Where did she go? She doesn't have a car, so she is still here at the hotel that's for sure. She's got to be with her ex-husband. That still doesn't help. I rush back to my room and slide on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I go to my car and pull down the visor to get her cell phone number. I dial the number and wait for her to pick up. After four rings, the voice mail picks up and the sound of an elderly man named Felix tells me to leave a message. I disconnect the call and check the number again to see that I dialed the number she gave me. "Fuuuuuuck!" It's the wrong number. She must have transposed one of the numbers, and I don't have the heart to try random combinations at this hour. I throw my head back against the head rest. I have no idea how to get in contact with her. I replace the number under the visor and then re-enter the lobby and go to the lounge to see if maybe she is there. No luck. After several minutes of looking completely lost about how to find her or where to even look, I concede to just go back to my room and wait for her to return. She was gone so fast and didn't take any of her things with her so she has to come back, and I will be waiting._

_The next morning, I am awakened by movement in her room. I dart up out of the bed and rush over to the door, swinging it open forcefully only to see the cleaning lady. "Oh, I'm sorry." She nods and I close the door. I walk back over to the bed and flop down on it. All her stuff is still in the room, so she has to come back. I just have to make sure I'm here when she does. I decide to take a quick shower while the cleaning lady is cleaning her room. Out of the shower, I order some room service and continue to wait for her. My food arrives and I eat in silence. I power up my laptop and check my emails. Thirty minutes later, I hear movement again in her room. I rush over to the door and try to open it only to find that it is locked. I begin knocking. "Mercedes." Nothing. I knock again. "Mercedes please." I hear her unlock the door, but she doesn't open it. I open it and take a couple of small steps into her room as she nears the edge of the bed. She then turns around to face me._

"_Sam." Her face is unreadable._

"_Mercedes, let me explain." I tightened my grip on the doorknob._

_She shakes her head as she sits down on the bed. "No, it's OK Sam. There's no need. It's my fault." She slips off her socks._

"_But I didn't do anything. I kicked her out immediately and then tried to find you. I don't even know why I let her in, I shouldn't have. I swear she was out the door within a minute of entering the room." She lowers her eyes, stands and makes a move to turn away from me but my words stop her causing her shoulders to shrug up and visibly stiffen. "Mercedes, please. I promise you, nothing happened. After she was out of the room, I came over here and saw that you were gone, so I got dressed and went down to my car to get your number to call you. And by the way, unless your name is really Felix, you gave me the wrong number." I smile to try to lighten the mood. "The only place that I could check was the lounge and you weren't there. Where did you go?"_

_She relaxes her shoulders a bit. "I went to stay in my ex's suite. I didn't want to be here to listen to….." She shakes her head as she closes her eyes._

"_Nothing happened. I promise. I made her leave." The expression on her face is pained as her eyes remain closed and her head quickly shakes from side to side. It is in that moment that I realize that she is trying to get the images out of her head. Images of something that didn't happen._

_Her eyes open and she gives me an ice-cold stare. "If I hadn't of talked to you before she arrived, you would have fucked her, right?" My jaw drops at the bluntness of her words._

_I take a deep breath and shrug my shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe, but I was hurting. I thought you just threw me away. I was trying to forget about you."_

_Her fists are balled and attached to her hips in a nanosecond. That ice-cold stare morphs into a fiery abyss of rage as her words crescendo from a whisper to a scream. "Are you serious? Really? So that's what I have to look forward to? You just going out and fucking random women to get over being hurt?" She lowers her arms to rest at her sides and I watch her un-ball her fists and repeatedly flex her fingers. She takes a couple of deep breaths, allowing her voice to normalize. "Sam, I would never and will never set out to purposely hurt you. I didn't set out to hurt you yesterday, but you ended up getting hurt because of my actions. I am truly sorry for that. But it is so not OK for you to react by screwing the first person you can find."_

"_I know." And I do know. She is exactly right. I mean when I made the date with Lacey, it was made purely based on my assumptions of what I thought had occurred between Mercedes and who I now know is her ex-husband and his new husband. Mercedes, her ex-husband and his new husband. That thought has my head spinning just thinking it. I start to understand the crazy situation that presented itself to her yesterday and how she tried to handle it. Her words interrupt my thoughts._

"_This is all brand new for both of us. We are still getting to know each other. For me, the attraction is still just as strong as it was when we sat together at the stadium, but over time, I guarantee you, rash decisions and assumptions will lessen it. Right now, my attraction is purely based on how attractive you are, your personality and the way you make me feel when you flirt with me. As we continue to spend time together and get to know more about each other, my attraction will either heighten or diminish. And in case you don't realize, hooking up with someone else when we have an argument or a misunderstanding, will definitely diminish it. Your handsome looks, sexy body and flirty words will only get you so far with me." She shrugs her shoulders. "I guess the bottom line is that we both have to communicate better, if this is going to work."_

_I give her a knee-jerk response. "I agree." I exhale softly as her words replay in my head. When I zero in on one particular statement, I grin at her like a fucking idiot as I loosen my grip on the doorknob. "I have a sexy body, huh?"_

_She giggles. "Really? Is that all you heard?" She giggles and throws her head back as shakes her head._

"_No, but that part was definitely a highlight for me. I also heard what sounded like you still wanting to get to know me. Is that true?"_

_She raises an eyebrow as she begins to slowly walk toward me. "It is. I still want to know everything about you, and I want you to know everything about me." I move toward her and crash my lips onto hers. "No, Sam stop." She giggles as she tries to pull away. "I have morning breath."_

"_Like I give a fuck." I back her up toward the bed and devour her mouth again as she falls back and I follow, landing at her side. "I like this dress." I run my hands down the side of the light, breezy material as I plant kisses all over her face. "I never got to ask why you were so dressed up last night." I trail my tongue from her jaw line to her neck and then lick and suck there. She moans and I move quickly to nestle myself between her legs._

"_There was a mixer downstairs. I was hoping to go with you, but you went M-I-A on me, so I went with Spence and Alistair." Her words are breathy and I feel her chest move up and down against mine. _

"_Hmm.." I continue my assault on her neck as I feel her hands trail up and down my back. "I want to sleep with you." She stills and I look up to meet her eyes. "You heard me right - I want to sleep with you." She softly clears her throat as I gaze at the uneasy look on her face. "What I mean is I want to share a bed with you. I want to be able to wrap myself around you and fall asleep next to you. I want to wake up next to you and still be wrapped around you. Believe me baby when the time comes for us, sleeping will be the furthest thing from my mind." I lower my mouth on hers and kiss her softly. "So, what do you say beautiful, will you sleep with me?"_

_I notice the relief that washes over her face as she smiles and sucks gently on my bottom lip. "Yes, I'd like that."_

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

Once I am settled in bed, I open my phone to do what has become my routine: reading our text messages and looking at our pictures. I'll get to see her in four days, so I need to make sure that I use the time to state my case and find out why she broke up with me. I've got to do everything in my power to get her back in my arms.


	13. Insightful Conversations

**I'm not sure if everyone is tired of all the flashbacks, but they will end soon (last ones are in chapter 15).**

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Sunday September 13th

The next morning, I am back at her door. Her car is in the driveway, so I hope that means she is here. "Mercy, please talk to me. I am not going to just go away, what we have is worth fighting for. Don't you agree with me?" I put my ear to the door and listen for movement on the other side. "Please baby." After a few moments, I move away from the door and lean my forehead against it. "I'm going to go now, but I will be back. I am going to fix what ever has happened that caused you to pull away from me, I promise baby. Just…baby, please talk to me." I lift my forehead off the door and place my hand against it. "I miss you." I turn and walk to my car, defeated once again. I didn't hear any movement from the other side of the door, so I have a feeling she's not even here.

I start my car and then pull away from the curb. I arrive at the end of her subdivision and a delivery truck catches my eye, instantly giving me an idea. As I am driving back to my apartment, I think back to that day during our time in Florida, when I found out her favorite flower.

_**********FLASHBACK Thursday June 11th Continued**********_

"_Have you eaten already?"_

"_Yes, I ate before I came back down here. Have you eaten?"_

"_Yes, I ordered room service while I was waiting for you to come back."_

"_Well, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?_

"_I-" A knock sounds on the door interrupting me. "Expecting someone?"_

"_No. It's probably my ex."_

_She goes to answer the door as I sit up on the edge of the bed. "Hey Merce. We're going back down to the pool. Wanna join us?"_

"_Maybe. Come in for a minute." I stand and adjust my clothing. "Spencer, this is Sam. Sam this is my ex-husband Spencer."_

_The first thing I notice is his eyes. Crystal blue. He stands almost as tall as I am, and his upper body makes me feel like I need to cancel all plans and immediately hit the gym. He is already dressed in his knee length swim trunks and a black tank that shows off the tribal band tattoo circling his left arm. His head is bald, and he has a diamond stud earring in his right ear. I extend my hand to shake his. "Good to meet you."_

_He takes my hand, smiles and shakes it. "Likewise." Firm handshake, good grasp and then he pats me on the back. My dad always said you can tell a lot about a man by the way he shakes your hand._

_She turns her attention to me. "They're going down to the pool again. Do you want to join them?"_

_I nod. "Sure, if that's what you want to do."_

_Then she turns her attention to him. "OK Spence, we will get changed into our suits and be down there in a few."_

"_Sounds like a plan. See you two down there." He kisses her cheek, turns and exits the room. My eyes follow as he exits and then I return my gaze to her._

"_So, that's Spencer."_

"_He seems nice enough." I nod. Other than wanting to punch his face in, I'm anxious to hear more about their relationship and how he came to be married to a man after divorcing her, but I'll wait for her to share that piece of information. As for the punch, I'll have to sit on my hands if he does that shit in my presence again._

"_He's a great guy, but enough about him." She pulls me close and softly kisses my lips. "So, are you going to swim with me this time?"_

"_Wild horses couldn't stop me." I slowly back her up against the nearest wall. "But first, we need some more make up kisses."_

_Changed into our suits about ten minutes later, we travel down to the pool. They are already there waiting for us. She guides me right over to them and introduces me to the husband, as Spencer looks on from inside the pool, wadding there at the edge. "Alistair, this is Sam. Sam, this is Spencer's husband, Alistair."_

_I give him a quick once-over. His build doesn't un-nerve me as much as Spencer's did. He is lanky. He has shoulder length red hair and his eyes are unusual. Gray maybe. His skin is paler in comparison to Spencer's. I offer him a hand shake as well. "Nice to meet you."_

"_Nice to meet you too." His hands are small, and his grasp is very loose. Almost untrusting. I nod and then move next to her to remove my shirt and slide out of my sandals. Alistair takes a seat in one of the lounge chairs, while the three of us swim around the pool. I can't help but notice how the two of them interact with each other. His hands like to roam a lot, too much for my liking. They are playful and each spend a good amount of time trying to pull the other underwater, before turning their combined attention on me._

_After spending a couple of hours at the pool, we start packing up our things to leave. Once we have all of our belongings, we enter the hotel and turn toward the elevators. I notice as her head turns and her eyes are drawn to the front desk, so I look in that direction as well, and see a delivery man with a vase full of red roses._

"_Ooh, somebody's getting some beautiful flowers delivered." I quickly look back at her and she smiles._

_Alistair softly nudges her side. "You want Spencer to go take them for you?" Hello, am I not standing right here?_

"_Nah, Merce doesn't like roses. She likes calla lilies." Spencer faces me. "So, Sam if you ever get on the lady's bad side, you'll know, calla lilies are the way to go." I nod at him in genuine thanks for the helpful piece of advice and then grin as I eye her._

_She shrugs. "Hey, I like what I like."_

_We step into the elevator and make the journey back up to our rooms. "You guys have dinner plans tonight?" Spencer throws an arm over her shoulder._

"_Maybe. Why, what did you have in mind?"_

"_Sushi."_

_She quickly glances at me. Truth is we hadn't made any plans for the night. "I'll let you know Spence. It's still early, we may want to stay in tonight and just get room service." The elevator arrives at our floor._

"_Alright angel face. Don't do anything I wouldn't." Spencer playfully pinches her cheek and then lightly taps her ass as she tries to swat his hand away. Alistair blows her a kiss as she grabs my hand and we exit._

_I turn back, eye Spencer, but then nod at the two of them. Yeah, she and I are definitely going to have to have a conversation about Mr. Can't-Keep-My-Hands-Or-Lips-To-Myself. "I guess I'll see you guys later. Good to meet you again." _

"_Same here." Spencer nods as Alistair smiles._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

"Good morning Reba's Floral Creations, this is Maggie. How may I help you today?"

"Hello Maggie. I would like to order two dozen calla lilies for delivery today, if possible."

"That shouldn't be a problem, sir. Any specific color or would you like us to provide an assortment?"

"Purple if you have them, otherwise an assortment please."

"Sure. What would you like on the card?"

"Put 'Mercy, any and everything for you. Missing you, Sam.' Did you get that? Can you read it back to me please?"

"Mercy, any and everything for you. Missing you, Sam. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. I'll need the delivery name and address."

* * *

An hour or so after ordering the flowers, I decide to give my parents a call. Right now, I need my mom's comforting voice and reassurances. Although they haven't visited to meet her in person yet, we have Skyped a few times when her and Ally have been here at the apartment. As soon as I unlock my phone to call them, the screen flickers and I see I am receiving another 'Unknown' call. I connect the call and listen. "March 31st." The call disconnects and I go through the usual song and dance. The date again means nothing to me, and I am tiring of this foolishness. Whoever it is just needs to get to the end and tell me who they are, why they are bothering me and what needs to happen in order for them to leave me the fuck alone. I sit down and grab a notebook to jot down the dates that I have received so far, thinking that writing them down will help me make a connection. First there was November 27, then there was September 5, then December 18, and today, it's March 31. I remember the first date was given to me by robo-call on Wednesday before my lunch date with Mercy. September 5 was sent to me by text Friday night. December 18 was sent in an envelope to the mansion yesterday. And then today, March 31 was given to me by another robo-call. Wait a minute. I didn't get a date on Thursday. I wonder if I have missed getting one. I slide on my sandals and walk outside to check the mailbox. Inside there are a few pieces of junk mail and an informational booklet from Wallingsford High School. I go back into my apartment and place the mail absentmindedly on the coffee table. I begin to wonder if Thursday's date was delivered to my office. I pick up the notebook and glance down to where I have written the dates. This is crazy. These dates mean nothing to me. Why am I spinning my wheels about this? I slam the notebook on the table and go back to what I was about to do before I got side-tracked.

I click the contact named listed as 'Mom & Dad' and wait for the call to connect.

"Well it's about time you called. How are you doing son?" Her voice is soft and comforting but dripping in concern.

I take a deep breath. "Hi Mom." I didn't mean for it to come out as broken and as timid as it did.

"Well that answers my question. Sam, what happened?"

She knows. Of course she knows. Katherine Marie Evans knows everything. She's astute. Her mind is always thinking several steps ahead of everyone else. The whole world thinks that my dad, Jack Austin Evans, was the mastermind behind transforming E&E from a multi-million-dollar company to a multi-billion-dollar one, but no. It was Mom. "What are you talking about?"

"Stop it. We know. Zack is so upset with you right now. What happened Sam?"

"Ma, I don't know. She just cut herself out of my life."

"Do you think she found out who you are? Or maybe someone she knows saw the one article in Reuter's with your picture that named you as the new CEO of E&E and tipped her off?"

"I'm starting to because nothing else explains it. I just wish she would tell me what happened and let me explain whatever it is. I know Zack is a complete mess. I'm in the same boat. And Ally, I'm so beside myself about not being able to make sure she is alright and knows I'm still here and not giving up without a fight."

"I'm sure Zack has let her know that. He talks to her every day."

"He blames me. I haven't heard from him since he decided to go stay with his mother. That hurts like hell too, but I'm not going to push him. He's been telling me for weeks now to tell Mercedes everything, but I didn't listen."

"Why not?"

"At this point mom, I really don't have a good explanation. In the beginning, I was being cautious and trying to protect myself from getting hurt. However, as the weeks have passed, my reasons for not telling her have morphed from not wanting to be taken advantage of, to a fear that she will leave me for keeping her in the dark for so long. But if I'm being completely honest Ma, I've known since I met her that she wasn't out to get anything from me. She was adamant about paying for the first meal we had and then wanting to go dutch every time after that. Even to this day, she always wants to make sure to pay her fair share. We've planned to take the kids to Metropolis in October. I rented a condo for the weekend and the first thing she asked was what she owed me. When I told her no, she put up a fight and only backed down when I agreed to let her pay for all of our meals while we are there."

"Well son, I have to say, from the conversations we've had with her and the way you and Zack talk about her, breaking off things without talking about it first just doesn't seem to me to be how she would react. I figured she would be upset when she found out but would hear you out so that you could explain why you did it in the first place."

"I thought that too."

"I think something else happened."

"But what?"

"I don't know. That's the million-dollar question. Do you think she is seeing someone else?"

"No. We were on the same page mom. We were working toward a long-term relationship."

"And you know that for certain?"

"Yes, I do. Which makes all of this that much harder to believe."

"I know me telling you to be patient means nothing, but son just try to give her some time."

"Aside from letting her know that I'm not giving up, that's all I can do."

"And how are you doing that?"

"Voice and text messages. I'm also having flowers delivered to her today."

"Just don't go overboard. It may overwhelm her and push her further away."

"Thanks mom."

"Sure honey. Hang in there. Love you. And Happy Anniversary in case I don't talk to you on the 17th. Your father and I both know this isn't the career you wanted, but we are grateful that you stepped up and took the reins to allow your father to retire. You and Jonathan are far exceeding our expectations. You should be proud of yourselves."

"Thanks mom. We are. Love you too. Give dad my love as well."

"I will. Talk later."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I disconnect the call and think about how my life has changed over the last two years. I was working as a graphics designer and making a comfortable living. Dad had just suffered his second stroke in 3 years and Mom called me, Stevie and Stacie to their home here in Atlanta for an emergency family meeting. Mom was adamant that Dad had to retire. When I arrived, there were a number of people there. Some were family, but most were not. I thought the meeting was to talk about which one of us would take over as CEO. Mom ushered the three of us into the kitchen. I looked over at Stevie and he stared at me. Then I looked over at Stacie and she was staring at me as well. I looked between the two of them again and then up at Mom, who was smiling at me. I was speechless. And then she said 'Congratulations' and I lost it. I couldn't believe it. It always seemed to me that Stevie was the one they had in mind to take over when the time came, but I was wrong. After wiping my tears, Mom introduced me to the people gathered there at the house and the rest is history. Jonathan's appointment as CFO came two months later when his dad, Uncle Ray, decided to retire as well to allow 'new blood' to take the company to the next level.

With the new appointment, came a new social circle with an abundance of gold-diggers. That was one thing I found out very early on, so that is why my guard is up when it comes to meeting anyone new. I've dated probably a dozen women over the last two years, and none of them, not one, ever treated me more than like a bottomless source of money. That's how I know she is different, and honestly, like I just told my mom, I've known that all along.

_**********FLASHBACK Thursday June 11th Continued**********_

_Outside our rooms after returning from the pool with her ex and his hubby, I have her backed up against the wall between each of the doors. My left forearm is pressed against the wall high above her head, and my right hand cradles her cheek. It's been too long since I kissed her lips, and after witnessing the ex's roaming hands, I have this unmistakable need to make sure she knows that I'm here. The ex had his chance, now it's my turn. I feel her softly exhale and then moan. That moan does something to me. I'll never get tired of that sound. The kiss started teasingly slow and continues at the same pace as each of our tongues caress and toy with the other. Her arms were wrapped low around my waist, but as the kiss continued, her right hand began to move up and down my back. Lost in the kiss, the sound of a door closing down the hall slowly ends our connection. I open my eyes to look down at her. She grins back and licks her lips. "So, like I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I'm going to shower and then maybe take a nap. Did you want to hang out tonight?" _

_The smile she gives me has me ready to reconnect our lips, but I refrain. I've got a serious situation to take care of the minute I get inside my room. "Yes. Tonight, and every night after if possible. You don't want to join your ex for dinner tonight?"_

"_No, not unless you do. We can meet them for dinner another time when we are back in Atlanta. I'd much rather spend the evening with you so we can continue to get to know each other."_

_A wide smile spreads across my face. "I cannot think of a better way to spend an evening." I give her a couple of lingering pecks. "So, this nap. Am I invited?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her._

_She giggles. "Yes."_

"_Good."_

"_I'll open the door once I am done with my shower."_

"_I'll be waiting."_

_She leans up on her tiptoes and quickly kisses me before ducking under my arm, inserting the keycard in the slot and opening the door to her room. "See you soon."_

"_See you soon." My eyes stay on her face as her smile disappears behind the closing door._

_I quickly insert the keycard, turn the door handle and enter my room. I quickly strip out of my t-shirt and swim trunks and get in the shower. I handle my business and am out in ten minutes flat. I step into a pair of gray lounge pants and pull on a dark blue t-shirt. I open the adjoining door and notice that hers is still closed, so I busy myself by checking a few emails. I send Zack a few text messages to check in on how his week is going._

_I hear the click of the lock on her adjoining door and then watch as it opens. I finish messaging with Zack and then go to the door. I lean against the frame. "Knock knock."_

_She leans her body away from the vanity and smiles. "Who's there?"_

"_Imus."_

"_Imus who?"_

"_I missed you."_

_She throws her head back and giggles. "It was so corny, but it was so cute." She chuckles a bit more and then gesture for me to come in. "Come on in and sit down. I've got to take out my contacts but then I'm all yours." She turns back toward the mirror. "I think we are going to have to forego that nap, because I'm getting hungry. Is that OK with you?" She turns and looks over at me._

"_Sure, that's fine. I'm hungry too."_

"_OK, good. So, what do you want to get for dinner?"_

"_I was thinking we could order a pizza and have a few beers."_

"_Pizza sounds good, but I don't drink beer. Just never acquired a taste for it. I wouldn't mind a glass of wine though."_

"_OK, I can call room service and have them bring up a pizza, a couple of beers and a bottle of?"_

"_Chardonnay if they have it, if not then Pinot Grigio."_

"_I'm on it beautiful. What do you want on the pizza?"_

"_I can handle anything but mushrooms of course."_

"_OK, how about pepperoni, green peppers and black olives?"_

"_Yum."_

_I grin at her and stand to walk over to the phone in her room to call. I take in her dressed down look as I wait for my call to be answered. She is wearing a pair of pink pants with 'DIVA' written across her glorious behind. Words written across her ass must be a thing for her. She has on a white tank top and her hair is up again. My call is connected, and I place the order for our food and tell the clerk that I will be paying with cash. Once I hang up, she gives me a playful but stern look._

"_Why didn't you have it charged to the room?"_

"_Why would I do that?_

"_Sam. I don't expect you to pay every time we have a meal. I can pay for it, or at least half."_

"_Mercedes. I told you I'm courting you. That means I pay."_

"_But this isn't a date."_

"_Oh, forgive me. Mercedes, would you stay in and have pizza with me tonight?"_

_She throws up her arms. "You're impossible."_

"_I can be. Just say yes."_

"_Yes."_

"_Now, that wasn't so hard was it?"_

_She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow at me. "Sam, will you go out on a date with me tomorrow night?"_

_I chuckle. "Oh, you're sneaky." I eye her. "And if I say no, and then turn around and ask you, you will say no too, won't you?"_

"_I don't know, maybe."_

"_And if I say yes, then you're going to pay?"_

"_Isn't that the rule?"_

_I take a few moments to study her. She's serious. Why is she making a big deal out of this? Her eyes stay locked on me as I try to figure out a way to say no to her invitation, and have it not result in her saying no to mine. Coming up with nothing, I concede. "Fine."_

"_You don't have to sound so enthusiastic about it."_

"_I'm sorry beautiful. It's just…"_

_She comes over to me, sits on the edge of the bed and then pulls me down next to her. "I get it, but you have to see it from my perspective too. While you were raised to always be the provider and protector, I was raised to be independent. We will just have to come up with some kind of compromise that works for both of us."_

"_Thank you." I take her hand and kiss it._

_She lightly bumps her shoulder into mine. "You're welcome. Thank you for dinner."_

"_Anytime beautiful._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

I send Mercy a few text messages.

'_**Imus' you, corny I know but it made you laugh before**_

_**Hope you are OK **_

_**I'm ready to talk whenever you are**_

* * *

Getting hungry, I open the freezer to find something to heat up for dinner and see the ice cream. I'm not even sure why I still have it. I move it to the side and take out a French bread pizza. Once it's ready, I take it and a beer to the breakfast bar and eat for a few minutes in silence, before glancing at my watch to see that it is nearing 6:00. I've put off calling Zack long enough. I unlock my phone and click on his name in my call log. He answers on the second ring.

"Hi dad."

"Hi Zack. How are you?"

"I'm OK. How are you? Have you heard from Cedes?"

"No, I haven't. I talked to your MomMom earlier. She said you've been keeping in contact with Ally. How is she?"

"She's sad. She's worried about her mom. She said all she does is work, cry and sleep."

"Can you give her my number and tell her to call me?"

"OK. She asked me for your number yesterday. I told her I needed to ask you first."

"Of course it's fine Zack." I didn't mean to raise my voice at him. I take a calming breath. "Please text it to her now and tell her she can call or text anytime."

"OK, is that it?"

"Is that it? Come on Zack, I'm trying here. Please cut me some slack."

"But I told you-"

I interrupt him. "Yes, I know you told me to tell her a long time ago, but I didn't, and you don't know how much I am regretting that now. And if I am not able to get her back, I am going to regret it for the rest of my life."

"I get that dad, but your mistake is affecting all of us now. Cedes is a mess, you're a mess, Ally's a mess and me, I'm a mess too, but I'm also mad. All of this could have been avoided. You should have told her." I hear the tension in his voice, and it leaves me speechless. After an uncomfortable space of silence, I hear his mother's voice faintly in the background. "Mom's calling me for dinner."

"OK. Um, I need you at the mansion Wednesday night."

"Why?"

"Because I need you there. No exceptions. We need to talk."

"Fine."

"I love you Zack."

"Love you too dad."

I end the call. With my appetite suddenly gone, I go over to the couch and sit. I rest my head back on the cushion and stare up at the ceiling as a tear rolls out of the side of my eye. My son means the world to me. He has been, is, and always will be, my number one priority.

_**********FLASHBACK Thursday June 11__th Continued**********_

_We've finished half of the pizza and I have finished half of my second beer. She is still nursing her first glass of wine. We are seated on the small couch in her room. She has both of her legs tucked under her and I have my legs stretched out and on the small coffee table. We have soft music playing from the television to fill any lulls in our conversation. I clear my throat and figure that now is as good a time as any, to ask her about the one thing I've been waiting for her to share. "Tell me about your relationship with Spencer."_

"_Well, we met at a party his fraternity had on the Georgia Tech campus. I was a sophomore. He was a junior. We hit it off immediately and from that moment on, we were inseparable. We dated for a year and a half before he asked me to marry him, then we got married a month after I graduated. Ally came along 11 months later." She takes a sip of her wine and eyes me. "Sam, he's always been the touchy-feely type. I've told him to knock it off, and hopefully he will, but he means no harm." She giggles and arches her left eyebrow at me as I chuckle and nod. "I also know you have probably been dying to ask me how that all happened, but believe me, the reality is nowhere near what your imagination has probably come up with." She takes another quick sip from her wine glass and then continues. "OK, so we had been married for about three years when I noticed that he wasn't his usual bright, shiny, playful self. I would hear him talking softly to himself sometimes in the bathroom mirror. He had this huge circle of friends, mostly his frat brothers, and over time, he began to push them all away. He didn't want to go out and do anything. He would just work, come home, play with Ally, eat dinner and go to bed. After a couple of weeks, I couldn't take it anymore, so I made him sit down and talk to me. He clamed up at first, of course, but I kept at him, and he finally opened up to me. He told me that he had been attracted to men before he met me, but he had never acted on it. Then he said he fell in love with me and figured those past attractions were just that. But then after we were married, the attraction had resurfaced, and he was ashamed. He said he was doing everything in his power to keep his focus on me and Ally, but by doing that, he wasn't the man I fell in love with anymore. He was withdrawn and depressed. Of course, I was livid and heartbroken when he told me and I reacted by taking Ally and leaving him, but that lasted for a good two days. I came back to our apartment and found him passed out with an empty bottle of sleeping pills next to him. I panicked and called 911. After they pumped his stomach and he was awake, I walked into his hospital room and punched him in the face a total of three times. Once for not being honest with me when we first met, once for not confiding in me when he started feeling that way again, and once for trying to leave our lives like that. After that, we had a good, long cry together and agreed that we should get a divorce. So we did, but we remained under the same roof as friends and co-parents until I met Alistair and introduced him to Spencer."_

"_You introduced them?"_

"_I did. When I met Alistair, I knew he and Spence would hit it off because I know Spence. And I was right, they had their commitment ceremony in Illinois six-month after meeting and were married in Hawaii a few years ago. Even though Georgia doesn't recognize it, they are married in my eyes, period."_

"_Wow, so you were totally right. What I had made up in my mind was so far off the mark."_

_She chuckles. "I figured as much." She takes another sip from her wine glass as I take a long swig from my beer bottle. "And don't let Spence's antics get to you." I nod but make a mental note to address that with him myself, when the time comes. She clears her throat and looks over at me. "So, have you ever dated a black woman before?"_

"_Well, biblically, I've had my fair share of all types of women, but I know that's not what you mean." What is the matter with me? This is not the time to brag about all the notches on my belt. I nervously clear my throat and take in her 'what-the-fuck' expression. I move the beer bottle away from me. "I'm not sure why I shared that piece of information, I mean, that could easily lead to you forming an unsavory opinion of me." Good job dumbass. Now, if she hadn't formed that opinion, she definitely will now. I shake my head. "I'm sorry beautiful, can I just start over and answer your question." She nods slowly and narrows her eyes. "No, I haven't. I've only had three long term relationships and those were with white women. One before I met my ex-wife, then my ex-wife and then one after my divorce. Any other dating I did was for no more than one or two dates, over the span of a couple of weeks, but all of those were with white women as well."_

"_OK. And I didn't mean for that to be a trick question Sam. I was just curious. I mean, you've met my ex-husband, so you know that I have dated a white man before, well dated, then married to be specific."_

"_Right, I get that. And I know that since I put it out there, you are wondering. So, I'm just going to come clean. After my divorce, I was angry. I caught her cheating on me. Came home to her in our bed doing him. So, I became the guy who was just out to have fun. That is who I was for the first five months after my divorce. I am in no way proud of that, but it was how I dealt with her betrayal."_

"_What made you change?"_

"_Zack. I'll never forget it. It was my weekend with him. It was a Saturday. His birthday had been a few days earlier in the week, but he had been with his mother. Now one thing you have to know about Zack, is that his emotional, speech and cognitive development were behind the arc during this time. He had just turned eight, but most if not all of his behaviors mirrored those of a four-year-old. We first noticed it when he was six and worked with his pediatrician, and several therapists to get him on track. But that's another story all together. Back to this one. So, we traveled to Memphis to celebrate his eighth birthday with my side of the family. After he blew out the candles, he came over to me, and asked if I wanted to know what he wished for. I told him that if he told me, it wouldn't come true. He stared at me for a split second, nodded his head, and then ran off to play with the kids that were there. An hour or so later, as people began to say their goodbyes, he came up to me again and asked if we were staying the night with MomMom and PopPop. I told him that we were and then he asked me again, if I wanted to know what he wished for, and I told him again that he couldn't tell me. By then, my curiosity was piqued. He was dying to tell me what he wished for, and I was dying to know. For the rest of the afternoon into early evening, I would look over at him and watch his little facial expressions. He either seemed to be deep in thought or like he was having a conversation with himself. So, after we had dinner, he took a bath and then got ready for bed. He kneeled down by my childhood bed to say his prayers and I listened in, just knowing that he would find a way to mention what he had wished for in his prayer, but he didn't. I kissed him goodnight and then went to take a shower. After I finished my shower, I headed back to my bedroom. As I got close to the door, I heard his little voice and then my dad's, so I stood there on the other side of the door and listened. He asked my dad, 'PopPop can you help me?' My dad said, 'Help you with what Zacky?' Zack said, 'Help my dad fix all the holes.' My dad said, 'What holes?' Zack said, 'All the holes at his apartment'. My dad said, 'Zacky, what are you talking about?' And then Zack said, 'I want to live with daddy but mommy says I can't because he has too many holes at his place.' It only took me a second to realize he was repeating a word his mother had been saying as 'holes' instead of 'hoes.' My heart dropped and I instantly felt like the worst father in the world. I didn't even want to face him. I was so ashamed and embarrassed. I hadn't thought of how what I was doing was affecting him. In that moment, it was over and done with. It took a long talk with my dad to even go back and get in the bed with him that night, but once his words were in my head, there was no way I was going back to that life. Zack's words from that night are ingrained in my brain. From that point on, I focused myself on him, and my career, in that order."_

"_Wow, I can only imagine how it felt to hear him say that."_

"_I was gutted. It took two years for me to even attempt dating after that. Then there were a few dates here and there but nothing substantial until a few months later, that's when I met Megan. She and I lasted eighteen months before we called it quits." I chuckle when a realization hits me._

"_What's funny?"_

"_Well, I just realized something. I seem to have an affinity for women whose names begin with the letter 'M.' After the debacle of my first girlfriend, Kaitlyn, I met Melissa, and we dated during the rest of our high school years. She moved away after we graduated. Then, I met my ex-wife, Marley, while attending Purdue. Then there was Megan. And now there is you - Mercedes."_

"_Well that gives me a good feeling."_

"_Yeah, me too." She leans over and kisses me. She moves to pull away, but I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her upper body across my lap as I deepen the kiss. Her fingers find their way into my hair, and I grunt when I feel her nails scratch against my scalp. Drawing our kiss to a close, I pull her bottom lip into my mouth and then release it. "You about ready for bed beautiful?"_

"_I am. You?"_

"_Yes." I trail my hand up and down the side of her body as my eyes follow. "I just need to brush my teeth."_

"_Yeah, me too. Meet you in bed in five minutes?"_

"_Five minutes." She leans up and kisses me again as she rises from my lap. We both stand, and I move to go to my room._

_I am back in a flash and find her sitting upright in the bed waiting for me. She pulls the cover back and pats the bed for me to join her. When I do, I lie on my back. She flicks off the lights above the bed and I use both arms to pull her toward me. She snuggles against me, her head on my chest, and my arms wrapped snugly around her. "Good night beautiful."_

"_Good night Sam."_

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

As I am getting settled into bed, I hear the chime from my phone. I glance over at the clock to check the time. Well, I already got my random date today, so I know who it's not. I pick it up from the nightstand and look at the screen.

_**Can you meet me to talk tomorrow**_

My heartbeat immediately begins to race as I dart up into a seated position. I unlock the phone and start typing a response.

_**Yes of course anytime and anywhere**_

After getting the details of where to meet her, a smile spreads across my face and as soon as it does, I realize that it is the first time I have genuinely smiled since she left me.


	14. Call Me Whatever You Want

**Brick House – The Commodores**

**I Turn to You – Christina Aguilera**

**I do not own Glee or its characters**

* * *

Monday September 14th

The next morning finds me with renewed hope. As I enter my private elevator, I send her a quick text.

_**Good morning beautiful I hope you have a good day**_

Once I arrive at my office, I immediately go to my desk to review the printed copy of today's schedule. I have an appointment at 4:30 and only death will keep me from it. Quickly scanning it, I notice that I have a meeting at 4:00 that I will need to have rescheduled. It's with one of our west coast distributors, so if I have to take a call with them at 9:00 tonight, I will. My day needs to be free from 4:00 to 6:30. Even though I don't anticipate our talk taking more than an hour, I want to make sure to allow ample time, for wherever the conversation takes us. I click the button on the intercom and call Harriet into my office. I turn to the computer to power it up when a knock sounds on the door.

"Come in."

"Good morning Mr. Evans."

I keep my eyes on the computer monitor. "Good morning Harriet. I need you to move some things around for me today. I will not be available today between 4:00 and 6:30. Any way you can re-arrange it, will be fine, except Wednesday's meeting with Rose & Potts cannot be moved."

"Yes sir, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you." I suddenly realize what I am doing and look up at her for the first time. "I'm sorry for being rude but I've got a lot on my mind. How have you been the last few days?"

"Mr. Evans sir, I'm fine, thank you for asking, but I can see that you aren't. Is there anything that I can do?"

I shake my head and give her a small smile. "Thanks Harriet. I really wish there was, but unfortunately there is not. If you could just take care of my schedule, I would appreciate it."

"Of course sir. Can I get you some coffee?"

"Yes, please."

When she leaves, I rest my elbows on my desk and bury my face in my hands. I should have worked at the apartment again today. I'm not ready to be here. I'm sure I look a disheveled mess to her. I trail my hands up to my hair and ball my fists. Shit, what am I doing? I immediately move to fix the mess I'm sure I just created with my hands. Entering my bathroom, I take a look in the mirror and my reflection triggers a memory from the morning after she fell asleep in my arms.

_**********FLASHBACK Friday June 12th**********_

_I awaken when I feel her hand softly stroking my chest. I glance down and see her sleepy eyes already looking up at me. "Morning."_

_I grin and caress her back. "Morning darlin. How did you sleep?"_

"_Good. You?"_

"_Like a baby." I move to kiss her, and she quickly turns her head._

"_Sam, come on. Morning breath. We both were drinking last night so I know it's bad."_

_I give her an annoyed look. "Like I give a fuck." I quickly move to pin her beneath me. She giggles and continues to deny my lips by turning her head from side to side, so I bury my mouth against her neck. I lightly suck against several areas as I feel her hands trail into my hair. The moment I feel her nails, I zero in on one spot close to her ear and suck harder. She responds by balling her fists in my hair and wrapping her legs around my waist. I'm rock hard at this point and if I thought we were ready to do this, I would bury myself in her so deep and fast, we would both wonder how I got our clothes off to do it. I grind my erection into her and that soft, sexy as hell, moan escapes her as I grunt. A chime sounds from her phone and it slows us down. I feel her fists loosen and then her legs release me. I trail kisses across her jaw line and then rest my forehead against hers. Our light pants fill the room as we study each other._

_She then exhales slowly and smiles. "I'll make you a deal, we both brush and then we come right back here."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

"_Ok." I jump off her and sprint into my bathroom to grab my toothbrush and toothpaste. I sprint back just as she reaches the vanity. I smirk over at her as she turns on the water. She smirks back and then we both look up at our reflections in the mirror. While she looks as gorgeous as ever, with her curly hair still appearing in its proper place, my hair is spiked up in various directions. Most noticeable are the two seemingly balled up masses of hair. One is toward the front and the other is right in the center of my head. They look like two small hair buns. I playfully pose my head in several different angles to get a better look at her handiwork and then chuckle. "I think I'll call this look 'Mercy Buns.' What do you think?" I smile over at her as she looks up at my hair and then cackles._

"_I love it. But be careful naming them after me. That means that no one else can give them to you."_

"_I'm OK with that."_

"_Really?"_

"_Most definitely." She stares at me as the words I just spoke seem to sink in. As usual, I begin panicking. I'm moving too fast, so I backtrack my words. "I'm sorry beautiful, I just meant that anytime you want to give me Mercy Buns, feel free." She smiles and I sigh in relief. We brush our teeth but the weight of what I just said remains in the atmosphere. As much as I want to go back to our places on the bed, I know that isn't the best thing to do right now. "What do you want to do today darlin'?"_

"_Well, I'm taking you out on a date tonight. I'll have to look up some places online. Other than that, I don't know. Did you want to go anywhere?"_

"_No. Like I told you, I had just planned to work while I was here."_

"_And I didn't plan to do much either. I didn't even rent a car for the week."_

"_OK, so unless there is something you are just dying to do, or somewhere you are dying to go, I say we just hang here. We can go downstairs to grab some breakfast, eat left-over pizza for lunch and then go out for dinner tonight. How does that sound?"_

"_Sounds like a plan."_

"_Good, I'm going to go shower and then we can go grab something to eat. That work?"_

"_Yes." _

_I pull her next to me and kiss her fiercely. When we part, I kiss her forehead and then gaze down at her. "I know we were supposed to go back to bed and continue where we left off, but I think it is best that we table that for another time. I'm not sure I would be able to stop myself again."_

_She nods. "I agree." She leans up on her tiptoes and kisses me. "Go shower, I'm hungry."_

"_Yes ma'am." I kiss her nose, grab my toothbrush and toothpaste and sprint back to my room._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

I exit my bathroom and see that Harriet has placed my coffee on the desk. As I walk back over to drink it, I notice two stacks of correspondence on the conference table. One particular item catches my eye. The familiar white envelope. Picking it up, I see my name and the company's address in typed letters, and just like the envelope I received at the mansion, this one includes 'Personal and Confidential' in red letters stamped at the bottom edge as well. This must be Thursday's date. I grab both stacks and take them back over to my desk. I open the envelope and find another folded piece of paper inside. I unfold it and see 'January 23' with what appears to be a sketch of the American flag? What the hell? I stare at the sketch for a moment and then look at the date. I'm more confused than ever, what the hell does the American flag have to do with any of this? I shake my head and slide the paper back into the envelope. I pick up my briefcase, open it and put the envelope inside the interior pocket. I'll have to think about that later, right now I need to get through my day so I can head out and get to the park by 4:00. I am not taking any chance on being late and missing her altogether.

* * *

I take a seat at a picnic table situated under the concrete gazebo located near the main entrance of the park. This has to be the place. She said it was the only one near the basketball courts. I glance down at my watch and see that I am almost thirty minutes early, but that's OK. I can use the extra time to get my thoughts together. I stopped on the way here and got some more flowers. I hope she likes these. My mind starts to race. There is so much I want to know, so much I want to ask her, but I know it is best that I let her talk first. Whatever she says, I need to make sure she knows I'm not giving up without a fight. My phone chimes and I pull it out of my pocket to see a message from Zack.

_**I'll be at the house on Wed after band practice. Is that OK**_

_**Yes, that's fine How was your day**_

_**It was fine Got a lot of homework tonight**_

I think for a moment about what to say next, but another message comes from him in the meantime.

_**Moms here Talk to you later Love you**_

_**Love you too son**_

I lock my phone and slide it back into my pocket. I should have told him I miss him. Man, I sound like a broken record. Seems like that is all I'm saying or texting these days. I tap my fist lightly on the table a few times but then abruptly stop when I hear my name. I dart up and turn just in time to see her running toward me. I take off to meet her halfway. As soon as she is near, I pull her tightly into my arms, lifting her off the ground. I feel something inside me break and I push back the feel of the tears that are threatening to escape. As I try to contain my emotions, I feel a slight jerk of her upper body against mine and then hear her sniffles. I place her feet back on the ground and just hold her. She keeps her head buried against my chest, so I stroke her soft curls until I feel her lift her head to meet my eyes.

"Hi."

She offers a weak smile. "Hi."

"I'm sorry."

She nods slowly. "Me too."

I take her hand and walk us back to the gazebo. She takes a seat, turns slightly and places her legs under the table. I sit next to her and do the same. We sit in silence for several minutes. I nervously clear my throat and pick up the small vase of sunflowers next to me on the ground. A small smile spreads across her lips as I place them in front of her. "How is she?"

She looks over at me, closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Not good. She's not my momma." She opens her eyes, keeping them focused on her hands that are resting in her lap. "She's become crazy protective. She won't let me out of her sight for too long. She cries a lot and has been looking at houses back in Kentucky." She darts her eyes to me but then returns them to her lap as she shakes her head. "I don't want to move Sam. I love it here. My Dad and Pop A are here, you're here, Zack's here and all of my friends are here. She won't tell me what's wrong. She just tells me not to worry about it, but it's all I do. All she does is cry." She leans forward, placing an elbow on the table and resting her head in her hand. "She used to sing all the time, while cooking or getting dressed or sometimes just sitting around, but I haven't heard her sing for days and I really miss it." She moves back away from the table and takes another look at the flowers. "Thanks for these. They're beautiful." She glances over at me.

I nod, and then look down at the table. "You're welcome." I swallow the lump that had formed in my throat as I listened to her and then look back over at her. "Did your mom get hers yesterday?" She nods. "Did she like them?"

"She loved them. She bawled for a whole hour after she got them."

My heart drops. "I never meant to make her cry."

"I know but like I said it is all she does." She raises her hand to the flowers, and I watch as her fingers stroke a couple of the petals on one of the sunflowers. She glances at me. "You sent her a song or something the other day, right?" I nod and she looks back at the flowers. "She listens to it repeatedly, like on a continuous loop or something. I'm starting to hate the song, but it's the only time that I've seen her smile." She smiles faintly but it quickly disappears. "She cries the worst when you're at the door though. I don't know, it's like she wants to open it, but she doesn't." She takes a deep breath. "Oh, and whatever you sent yesterday, really made her laugh."

I nod at her and smile weakly. "Thanks for sharing this with me."

She nods but keeps her eyes on the flowers. "I know it's not much but at least she doesn't act like she hates you. That's a good thing, right?" She looks over and raises a single eyebrow at me. My god. I never realized how much she favors her mom. I nod and she continues, moving her eyes back to the flowers. "I guess what I really wanted to say to you is to not give up on us yet. I miss having you and Zack around. I just don't want you to go out looking for anybody to replace us." Her fingers release the petals. "I mean, I may be stepping out of line by saying this but I consider Zack my brother and you, you're my..I mean I consider you to be…you know..like..um…." She places her hands in her lap and I notice as one hand fidgets with the other.

My insides flutter and my heart skips a beat. "Like your stepdad?"

She nervously looks over at me out of the corner of her eye. "I mean I've got my dad, and I got Pop A and I got, or I had you too. Like a bonus or something, you know. I'm probably not making any sense and I'm sorry if I am over-stepping by thinking of you that way." She lowers her head again. "But yeah, like my stepdad."

I grab both of her hands and tug them until she looks up at me. "You are making perfect sense and you do have me, now and for however long you want me. I am honored to be your stepdad or bonus dad, or whatever you want to call me. And I wouldn't mind being him forever." I feel the tears pooling in my eyes.

She gives me the most beautiful Mercy-esque smile and it makes me smile in return. Then I notice the tears pooled in her eyes as well. "Really?"

That one word broke the dam. I close my eyes as I nod, and then look back at her. Screw it, I can't stop the tears. Hell, I don't want to. "Yes really. You and your mom mean the world to me and I am going to fix all of this and get us back on track. I made this same promise to Zack and I am promising it to you as well. I'm going to fix this sweetheart. For all of us. I promise."

"OK." I pull her into my arms and hug her as tight as I can, as I plant a soft kiss in the mess of curls on her head.

Once we break apart, I take both of her hands in mine again. "OK." I let her right hand go to wipe my eyes with my sleeve. She giggles as she wipes her tears with her fingertips. I clear my throat and then grab her hand again. "Can I ask something of you?"

"Sure, anything."

"Please try to keep her mind occupied on anything else. The thought of her crying so much breaks my heart. Just anything you can do to keep her mind occupied."

She grins. "I'll try my best."

I smile back at her. "Good. Now, you have my number. You can call or text me anytime sweetie, for anything. I mean it. And if you happen to get her mind so far off this and she gets to singing, I definitely wouldn't mind hearing it."

"OK." Her phone chimes and she pulls it out of her jacket pocket. "That's my lookout. Looks like it's time for us to load the bus. The football team has a scrimmage game at Laketon at six, and our band director thought it would be good practice for us to play our set tonight."

She stands and then I do too. "OK sweetie. Don't forget what I said. Anytime for anything." I tap the tip of her nose for emphasis.

She smiles. "Thank you."

"No. Thank you. Have fun tonight." She nods, gives me a tight hug and then darts off back toward the school.

I sit down and fully take in everything that she just said to me. Mercy doesn't hate me, at least Ally doesn't think she does, so that gives me even more hope that this can be fixed. I smile when I think about her enjoying my video. I even manage a chuckle when thinking that she liked my corny text yesterday. But then, my smile fades. I've got to limit how many times I go over and try to talk to her through her front door. Ally said it's the hardest for her. I can't stop going altogether, because I need to be near her, even if I don't get to see her face, but I won't go as much.

I glance down at my watch and see that it is nearing 6:30. I need to get back to the apartment to get ready to dial into my meeting at 7:30. As I pull out of the parking lot, I feel like a small weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now, I just need to get everything in place when I meet with Mercy on Wednesday. I tap my thumbs against the steering wheel as I wait for the light to change. I reach down to turn on the radio, something I usually never do but right now my heart and head feels just a bit lighter. After a couple of minutes of talk, familiar drumbeats sound out through the speakers and I am transported back to the night she got me to sing. But the treat for me that night was getting to hear her sing again.

_**********FLASHBACK Friday June 12th Continued**********_

_Mercedes found a place called 'CJ's' that she wanted to try for dinner tonight. She explained it as a sports bar/club with billiards, darts, dancing and karaoke. Sounds like an interesting combination that will either be hugely entertaining or a complete disaster. I guess we will see. Plus, it's just three blocks from our hotel, so we walked over. I felt up for this tonight and if I get to hear her sing again, it will be well worth it. When we got to the entrance, the bouncer told us the cover and I instinctively reached for my wallet. She narrowed her eyes at me, and I held up my hands in surrender. We chose a booth situated in the center of the room and on the far side of the spacious dance floor. On the other side of the booth are pool tables and dart boards. There is a stage at the end of the hall in front of the dance floor with a DJ booth to the left. On the other side of the DJ booth is the bar. _

_She slides in and I slide in right next to her. There is a sizeable caddy-like contraption on the table that is also holding the menus. She takes one and then hands one to me. While we look it over, our waitress appears._

"_Hi I'm Renee. Welcome to CJ's. Can I get you something from the bar?"_

"_Hi. I'll have a long island iced tea and can you open a tab for me please?" Mercedes hands Renee her card._

"_Sure." She looks over at me. "And what can I get for you?"_

"_I'll have a beer. Whatever you have on tap is fine."_

_Renee nods and then takes off toward the bar as we both continue looking at the menu. They have many of the options you would expect at a sports bar: burgers, wings, ribs, pizza, nachos, chicken fingers and sliders. They have a sampler that includes a small portion of each option with a side of fries. I look over at her. "What do you think about getting the sampler and sharing it?"_

"_That sounds good. There is so much to choose from and everything looks so tasty from the pictures."_

"_Good, then that's decided." I take the menu from her and slide it back into the holder. Renee returns with our drinks and we order the sampler with double fries. We sit and talk for a bit but before too long, Renee returns with our food. It was the perfect size for the two of us as the only thing left after we finished eating is a few fries. Renee checks on us again and Mercedes orders another long island iced tea and I get another beer. I excuse myself to the bathroom and upon returning, I notice that she is chatting away with our waitress. As I slide back in next to her, Renee scurries away with a huge smile on her face. "So, what were you two talking about?"_

"_She was asking if this was our first time here. I told her yes and she started telling me about the usual atmosphere. By the way, the fun starts after nine." She winks at me._

"_I'm not sure I even want to know what 'fun' that is."_

"_It's nothing silly, that's just when the younger crowd shows up. She said it's fun to just watch them make asses of themselves. The karaoke starts upstairs at that time too."_

"_Really? Are you going to honor the crowd with a song?"_

"_I don't know, maybe."_

_Renee returns with our drinks. "You two aren't leaving, are you?"_

"_No, we are going to hang out for a bit longer."_

"_Good."_

_Several minutes later, there is a loud hiss and then the DJ's voice booms around us. "Alright ya'll, let's get this party started." And on cue, Let's Get It Started by the Black-Eyed Peas thumps throughout the club._

_She looks over at me and leans into me, placing her lips next to my ear. "You gonna dance with me?"_

_I grin and then mouth 'Nope' before giving her a wide smile. Dancing is definitely not my forte._

"_You're no fun." She leans back up with a pout and takes a long sip of her drink._

_I down some of my beer and then lean over to her. "OK, maybe, if I get buzzed enough." I kiss her temple before sitting upright. We sit for a few minutes listening to the music. Once there is a small pause, a voice behind us draws our attention._

"_If you guys want to sit some place quieter, there is a lounge on the second floor. That's where karaoke happens."_

_I look over at her. "What do you say?"_

"_Yes, at least for a little while. I cannot hear myself think right now." She grabs her drink and I grab my beer._

_Just as we stand, Renee reappears and I listen to Mercedes tell her that we are going upstairs to the lounge for a bit but will be back. Once we reach the lounge, the thumping inside my head begins to lessen. Taking in the scene, there are several couches with coffee tables scattered around the area but all facing a small stage in the corner of the space. There are a few two chair tables closer to the stage and a small open space in front the stage. Soft music is playing from a jukebox and a small bar is in the center of the space. I follow her as she chooses where she wants to sit and then sit down next to her. The moment we get situated, a waiter appears._

"_Hi, I'm Marco. Can I get you anything from the bar?"_

"_No thank you. Three is my limit and I am on my second one."_

"_I'll have another beer."_

"_You can put in on my tab." She hands him her ID._

"_Yes ma'am." He returns it to her and then turns to me. "I'll be right back with your beer."_

_We hear a loud cheer and turn to see the two bartenders preparing a round of drinks. They are throwing and flinging glasses in the air and to each other while turning here and there and doing backflips. It's quite the sight to see. Once they have finished, the people gathered around applaud their efforts._

"_I guess that's one way to keep your job interesting."_

_I raise my eyebrow and nod. "Yeah, I guess." Marco returns with my beer and takes my empty mug with him._

_There is some loud cheering behind us and we both turn to see what's happening. That's when we first notice several silver poles in the far corner. That's also when we find out what the cheering is about. There is an obviously drunk guy swinging from one of them with his shirt unbuttoned and hanging open giving everyone a look at his small protruding pot-belly. We both look at each other and then fall over laughing. After several minutes, we regain what composure we have and sit upright on the couch. I glance back one more time and chuckle again._

_I turn my head to grab my beer but still when I notice her staring at me. "So, would you ever do something like that?"_

_I reach down for my beer. "Not sober." I glance back again and then look at her. "And I'm not that drunk yet."_

"_Oh, come on." She smirks at me. "If not something like that, then is there anything that you always wanted to do but haven't?" I gaze at her excited face as she shifts to tuck a foot under her and takes a drink from her glass. Then she places her glass on the table and claps. "Ok I got it, I got it." She lifts her hands up and moves them like she is giving me several double high-fives, then she clasps them over her chest and laughs. "OK, so, name three things you haven't done, but have always wanted to do." Yeah, she is getting tipsy._

"_Hmm, let's see." I take a few minutes to think and then grin wickedly. Yeah, the beer is definitely getting to me too. "Well I've always wanted to join the mile-high club but have never had the opportunity." She nods as she looks over at me, anxiously waiting for my next two answers. My mind stays pretty much in the sexual fantasy realm of things. Oh my god, I cannot believe I am going to tell her. I feel my face get hot and grab my beer. I swallow the liquid and then take a deep breath, saying my next two answers out as determined and as inviting as I can. "Toe sucking." I glance down at her toes on full display in the dressy black sandals she is wearing tonight, and intentionally lick my lips as I bring my eyes back to hers. I watch her jaw drop and then see the hint of a smile appear at her lips. I wink at her and lean closer to her to make sure she hears my final answer. "And last, but definitely not least, fun with whipped cream and other sauces." I bite down on my bottom lip as my eyes trail to her cleavage. "Let's call it a Mercy Sundae." I watch as her breathing hitches and she licks her bottom lip. I cannot take the smile off my face._

_She takes her glass and downs a good amount of it and then she rolls her eyes at me with a smile. "Um, I didn't say sexual things, silly. I mean anything, like sky diving or going on a safari." I watch her shift her position on the couch again._

"_Boring. Besides, it seems more fun if its sexual." I down some of my beer. "What's your three?"_

_She doesn't even hesitate. "Ride a mechanical bull, attend a live taping and be in Times Square on New Year's Eve."_

_I shake my head. "Like I said, boring."_

_She playfully punches me in the arm. "Whatever. Now you give me three non-sexual ones and I'll give you three sexual ones."_

_I shift my position on the couch this time so that I am facing her. "Now we're talking. OK, I want to bungee jump, I want to learn to dance the salsa and, don't laugh, but, I want to shave my head." I don't even give her a second to comment. I nod excitedly at her, rub my hands together and ready myself. "Now you, give it to me baby."_

_She throws her head back, laughs and then looks over at me. "OK, don't judge me." I shake my head and take my index finger to my heart and make a cross against it. "Kiss a girl, be tied up and have a threesome." Holy Shit. I think my eyes glazed over when she said kiss a girl. When she said she wants to be tied up, I think I may have jizzed a bit in my jeans. By the time I heard threesome, my heart had definitely skipped multiple beats. I don't know how long she called my name while I sat there with my eyes staring off in the distance as I imagined all three of her answers occurring at the same time with me as the lucky SOB to witness the kiss, tie her up or have her in a threesome with me and another chick. I feel her hand on my face. Another girl is the only way a threesome would happen. "Earth to Sam."_

_I move my eyes to her and smile. "Can I just say, I'm totally up for the first and the second but the third, not while there is breath in my body unless its me, you and another woman."_

"_Hey, those were my choices so it's all about me. What if I want a male, male, female threesome?"_

"_Again, I say not while there is breath in my body."_

"_Well, I say not while there is breath in my body, unless its me, you and another man."_

"_Then it's safe to say that threesome will never happen beautiful, sorry." She narrows her eyes at me and giggles._

_There is a light knocking sound and then a man's voice comes over the speakers. "Alright everybody, it's karaoke time!" A few claps are heard around the room. "Who's up first?" We both turn to see an older gentleman step toward the stage._

"_You gonna sing?"_

"_Nope."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Not drunk enough"_

"_Oh, come on. I'll sing if you do."_

"_As much as I would love to hear you sing beautiful, it's still not enough to get me to sing too." We both watch as the man goes through the steps of choosing a song and waiting for it to load. Then the music starts. His rendition of I'll Be Watching You by Sting is both unnerving and a little creepy. Once he finishes to light applause, I look back over at her._

"_Would you sing if I kissed a girl?"_

"_You wouldn't."_

"_If it would get you to sing, I would."_

_I study her for a moment. "Nah, your messing with me." I shake my head and then wonder if she would really do it. "Right?"_

"_You'll never know unless you agree to sing." She smirks at me._

"_So, just to make sure I've got this straight, if I sing, you'll kiss a girl and sing too?"_

"_Right."_

"_Can I pick the girl?"_

"_I'm the one kissing her. Can't we at least pick her together?"_

"_You my dear, have yourself a deal. You are kissing first."_

"_Fine."_

_Thirty minutes later, we are still trying to agree on someone. Just then, we both see her. Somehow, Renee, our waitress from downstairs, has appeared and comes over to where we are seated to see if we want anything else from the bar. I order another beer for me and she orders another long island iced tea. As she leaves, we look at each other and smile. "What about Renee?" She nods in agreement. "You ask her, seems like she likes looking at you more than she likes looking at me anyway."_

"_I thought I was imagining that." _

"_She hasn't looked at me for more than a few seconds. She can't keep her eyes off you." At that moment, Renee appears and hands the drink to Mercedes. I watch her take a long sip and then sit it on the table. Renee turns to leave but Mercedes grabs her hand._

"_Hey, can I ask you something?"_

"_Sure, what is it?"_

"_Have you ever kissed a girl?"_

"_I have. Many of them."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yes. Why do you ask?"_

"_Well, my date here won't sing unless I kiss a girl and we've been looking for one for me to kiss. Then you showed up and we both agreed that you should be the one that I kiss." Mercedes smiles up at her. "So, what do you say? Would you be willing to kiss-" Renee's lips are attached to hers before she can even finish the question. I watch as their heads angle and Renee pulls Mercedes up to her feet. Renee stands about three inches taller than her. She wraps her arms low around Mercedes' waist and I notice how Mercedes seems to be enjoying what's happening to her. Hell, I'm enjoying it that's for sure. Then I see Renee palm her ass with one hand and I start to feel myself getting jealous. Mercedes has one arm high around her neck and the other arm around her back. Renee's other hand is cupping Mercedes' face. The kiss isn't ending and I start to get antsy. After too many more seconds, I'm over it. I clear my throat several times and notice that they are finally pulling apart. When the connection is completely broken, I see Mercedes stare at her and she at Mercedes and something in that look tells me that I am lucky that we are in public or they would be doing even more. Mercedes clears her throat and then smiles up at her and winks. "Thanks."_

"_Anytime." Renee winks back and then smirks over at me as she walks away._

_I feel violated. Of course, I thought that I would be so turned on by that, but I am not. I'm jealous. That Renee bitch better stay away from her. She's mine. I grab her hand and tug her down on my lap to kiss away all thoughts of the one Renee just planted on her. Once we come up for air, I look at her with pleading eyes. "My kiss is better right?"_

"_Without question. Now kiss me again." I grin and do as I am told._

_After she added our name to the list to sing, she walks back over to me and sits down. "You're up first."_

"_Why me?"_

"_Because I don't trust you to go up there after me."_

"_I'm hurt beautiful." I slowly shake my head. "Really hurt."_

"_Sure you are but you're still going first." She quickly kisses me._

_I throw my head back against the couch. "Dammit!"_

_She giggles and then pushes me forward to get me off the couch. "Just go."_

_I walk up to the song book and look for a song. I find one and grin. After it gets loaded, the opening drumbeats to Brick House play and I'm off._

_She's a brick house_

_She's mighty mighty_

_Just letting it all hang out_

_She's a brick house_

_My lady's stacked_

_That's a fact_

_Aint' holding nothing back_

_I continue through the words doing my best to keep up as the letters turn from white to yellow across the screen. I'm buzzed so I am really not caring how ridiculous I look right now. I keep looking back to where she is and as long as she is cheering me on, dancing and smiling, I'm winning. As the song comes to a close, I hear most of the room cheering and clapping. I guess I didn't do too bad. I see her walking toward the stage and take the opportunity to introduce her. "So, up next is my girl. Be prepared to be amazed." She takes the microphone from me and I kiss her temple, then lean in next to her ear. "Knock 'em dead beautiful." She kisses my cheek and I hear all the whistles and 'awws' from the audience. She looks over the book and picks a song._

_The music starts and I hear the hush that falls over the crowd. The moment she hits the first note, I know she is going to blow us all away._

_When I'm lost_

_In the rain_

_In your eyes I know_

_I'll find the light_

_To light my way_

_When I'm scared_

_Losing ground_

_When my world is going crazy_

_You can turn it all around_

_By the time she gets to the chorus, I notice that the room has become more crowded. I smile as she starts the second verse and just watch her. She's not even looking at the words. She knows the song by heart. When the chorus starts again, I hear the applause and I just smile. I feel the tears in my eyes. At the bridge, she moves toward the edge of the stage and then she hits it. That note. That one note that sends everybody in the room into a frenzy. My smile widens as my eyes get even more teary and I clap as hard and as loud as I can. When she finishes the song, the cheering and applause that surround me makes my entire body vibrate. She smiles and takes a few bows and then waves to the crowd before walking over to me. Once she reaches me, I wrap my arms around her and plant a deep, wet kiss on her lips. We pull apart and I lean in next to her ear. "Let's get out of here." She nods and I take her hand and start our journey through the crowd of people still around her and still amazed by what they just experienced._

_After our journey back to the hotel, we both collapse on the bed in my room. The alcohol has caught up to us. She's all giggly and I am horny as fuck. I'm laid on my back trying to get my mind off anything but ripping her clothes off when I feel her body near mine. She places her hand against my chest and then starts to plant kisses all over my face. Oh my god. When she moves and straddles my lap, I freeze and take several deep breaths. She sits upright on top of me and removes her top, throwing it on the floor. I've got to do something. We aren't ready for this yet. I quickly flip us over and pin her hands above her head. "Beautiful, you've had too much to drink. I don't want us to do something that you will regret in the morning." She grinds up against me causing me to inhale sharply. "Fuck." I look down at her and see the smirk on her face. "You're a devil." I smirk back at her. "I'm going to let your hands go and you're going to go into your room and get ready for bed while I do the same." She slowly nods her head as her eyes droop. "Then you are going to come back over here so we can go to sleep. OK?" She nods again. I lift off her and pull her to her feet. She walks slowly into her room and I go into the bathroom to take care of myself. Once I am out, I slip into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and then pull back the covers to wait for her. After fifteen minutes and not hearing a sound from her room, I go over and find her asleep on her bed. She did manage to change into a shirt and some shorts before she passed out. I pick her up and carry her over to my bed. Once she is situated, I climb in behind her and wrap her up in my arms._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

After finishing up my call, I heat up a can of vegetable soup and make a peanut butter sandwich. I'm drained. I just want to eat this, take a shower and then go to bed. After eating, I clear the trash from the counter and flip off the lights just as I hear a knock at my door. I groan and flip the lights back on as I go to open the door. There on the other side is my next-door neighbor, Frank.

"Hiya Sam."

"Hey Frank. What can I do for you?"

"You had a letter delivered today that required a signature." I look down and notice the envelope as he hands it over to me.

"Thanks. Sorry if it was a bother."

"No bother at all. Have a good night."

"You too." I nod and then close the door. Today's random date. I just open it. I'm not in the mood to deal with this right now. I'm tired and want to shower and get some sleep. I unfold the paper tucked inside the envelope to see June 8 written with what looks like the sketch of a ring. This is ridiculous. I drop both the envelope and the paper on the coffee table and go into the bathroom to shower. As soon as I am out, I put on some boxer briefs and climb into my bed.


	15. The Point Of It All

**This chapter will include both Sam's and Mercedes' POV and it switches between the two POVs several times. I hope everyone is able to follow. **

**Also, I know several of you thought the conversation that occurred in the last chapter was going to be between Sam and Mercy. I promise that one is in the next chapter.**

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Tuesday September 15th

**SAM POV**

A crack of thunder wakes me. I look over at the digital clock on my nightstand to see that it is 7:17, so I sit up, stretch and decide to get up. The alarm would have gone off in three minutes anyway. I pick up my phone and cancel the alarm. Thunderstorms are in the forecast during the morning hours, so I make a quick decision to work at the apartment today. I leave Harriet a message to forward my calls to the apartment and then also ask her to confirm that the food has been ordered for my meeting with Rose & Potts tomorrow. After hanging up, my mind fast forwards to tomorrow. It really isn't much of a business meeting. The account is hers. The rest of the time will be spent with me coming clean and pleading my case. She has to forgive me. She just has to. I cannot lose her or Ally. I go into the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee. I turn the k-pod carousel to find my favorite dark roast blend but see that I am out of it, so I look through the remaining blends and one makes me smile. I never noticed it before, probably because Zack always brewed it before I had the chance to notice it. I pick it out of the holder and decide to give it a try. With a name like White Chocolate it's got to be delicious, right?

_**********FLASHBACK Saturday June 13th**********_

_I'm standing by the vanity brewing some coffee when I hear her groan. I turn just in time to see her sit up and wipe her eyes. "Oh my god. What happened?"_

"_Alcohol." I grin as I turn back to the coffeemaker as it spurts to a finish. I pour a cup for her and then one for myself._

"_Can you make the room stop spinning?"_

_I smile as I walk the mug over to her. "I wish. Want some coffee?"_

"_Please." I carefully hand the mug to her along with a couple of creams and packets of sugar. "What time is it?"_

_I glance down at the clock. "Almost 10:00." I walk back over to the vanity to get my mug and then walk over to the small couch to sit._

_She stands and walks over to the couch to join me. "Do you mind if we check the weather for today? The kids have their performance and I want to see if they are going to have to contend with any rain. There has been a small chance all week."_

_I nod and grab the remote to turn on the television._

_She leans back against the couch. I glance over at her as she does and notice when she stiffens. "Wait, did I kiss our waitress last night?"_

_I chuckle and nod. "Yep."_

"_Wow."_

"_That's what she said." I take a sip from my mug. With a smile on my face, I look over at her again just as something else hits her._

"_Wait a minute. There was a stripper pole at that club wasn't there?"_

"_Yep." This is just too good. The expressions that take over her face each time she remembers an event from last night are hilarious._

"_Oh my god, I didn't strip, did I?"_

_I shake my head but keep smiling. "No."_

_She raises an eyebrow. "Did you?"_

"_Hell no."_

_She giggles and I notice that she has calmed down a bit. "Oh come on. You could have given us a little White Chocolate action." She smirks at me._

"_White Chocolate?" I narrow my eyes at her._

"_Yes, it's the stripper name that I have bestowed upon you." She leans her head back and smiles._

"_OK." I consider the new moniker and nod my head in agreement. "Strangely enough, I like it. So, what's yours?"_

"_You have to give me one."_

"_Hmm." I take a few sips of my coffee while I think up a stripper name for her. She has tuned to the television, so I take the opportunity to study her. She sips her coffee and as she swallows the liquid, I see her mash her lips together. She leans forward to sit the mug on the table and then stretches both arms over her head for a few seconds. Bringing them back down, I watch as her tongue quickly darts out and licks the bottom corner of her mouth. It's probably something she has done a million times but because I am watching her, it is very alluring. I take a quick sip of my own coffee and smile. "OK, I've got it."_

_She picks up her mug, leans back against the couch again and takes another sip. "OK, let's hear it."_

"_Coco Seduction."_

_She smiles and nods. "Oh, I like that." She sips again and then winks at me. "Coco will have to give you a private show one of these days."_

_My mind is telling me to say 'Baby, you just gave me a preview,' but instead I wink back at her. "I'm going to hold you to that."_

_She stands, walks over to the small dining table and places her mug on it. "You do that, but for now, come here and let me get a taste of some white chocolate before I get in the shower." She uses her index finger to beckon me. I stand and obey her command. Our lips connect and then our heads angle as I wrap my arms around her. She locks her arms around my waist and snakes her tongue into my mouth. The move surprises me but I don't hesitate to challenge her for control. Moments later, we both draw away after a lingering peck. She opens her eyes and looks up at me. _

_I look down at her with a grin. "So, how was it?"_

"_Delicious. I mean with a name like white chocolate, it's got to be, right?" She closes her eyes and scrunches her nose._

_I chuckle and kiss the tip of her nose. "Good answer. Ok, we've got to get moving. The kids will be performing in a couple of hours." We release each other and as she turns to walk toward the adjoining door to enter her room, I lightly smack her ass._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

**MERCEDES POV**

After leaving our monthly staff meeting, I enter my office a bit out of sorts and a little pissed off. I've never been treated as disrespectfully as I was during that meeting. I was providing the requested financials to the owners and department heads, but neither Mr. Rose nor Mr. Potts seemed interested. They sat there at the head of the conference table whispering back and forth to each other like schoolboys. Never once did they even look up to make eye contact with me. They seemed completely unphased that August revenue increased by 10% as compared to our revenue in July. I look up and notice the time on the wall clock behind my desk. It's not even 9:00 yet. I need some coffee. I drop my papers on my desk and grab my coffee mug. I see one of the shared marketing assistants, Margo, getting herself some coffee when I walk into the break room, so I go over to join her.

"Hey Margo."

"Hey Ms. Cedes. How are you today doll?"

"Same old song and dance. I swear sometimes I wonder why I even bother."

"What's wrong?" I proceed to tell her about what happened during the staff meeting. She rolls her eyes and leans in next to my ear. "You know they were probably talking about what they would do to you if you gave either of them the time of day." She scrunches up her nose. "Could you even imagine it?" Then she playfully gags. It makes me laugh out loud. This girl is something else. "So, what you got in the works? Anything you need me to help with?"

"Well, there is something big happening tomorrow, but I've been trying to keep it quiet because I really don't have a lot of confidence that I'll get the contract."

"Who is it?"

"E&E?"

"What?!"

I shush her. "Keep it down. And yes, E&E. But like I said I really don't think it will amount to anything. They've got an internal marketing team. What is the benefit of moving that to an outside firm?"

"Hell if I know, but if you have the opportunity to make an impression, then you should go all out. Maybe you'll impress them so much that they will offer you a job there. Lord knows the old heads here don't appreciate you like they should. Anyway, what can I help you with?"

"Come on. Let's talk about it in my office." She follows me to my office and then I go over what I've put together for my pitch. I ask her to pull a few campaign highlights from our biggest clients to include in the presentation and then to make five copies of everything when she's finished. She nods and scurries away to get started. I glance over at my computer screen when I hear a ding. Great. A meeting request with both Mr. Rose and Mr. Potts today at 6:00. They really are out of touch. Who has meetings that late anymore? I shake my head as I click the 'Accept' button to send my response and then pick up my phone to text Ally. Once I unlock it, I see I've received another message from that bitch. When will she leave me alone? She got what she wanted. Overlooking whatever she sent today, I scroll up to read all the messages she has sent to me since last week.

_**Thursday Sept 10**_

_**Im happy to see that you have taken what I told you to heart**_

_**Make sure to keep it that way**_

_**Friday Sept 11**_

_**Ally looks so cute today I like what she's done with her hair**_

_**Saturday Sept 12**_

_**Zack is so happy that me and his dad are spending so much time together**_

_**Our family will be back together in no time**_

_**Monday Sept 14**_

_**Im surprised you aren't picking her up from school too**_

Then I read today's messages and freeze.

_**I told my daddy about you this morning **_

_**He's not happy that you were the one standing in the way of my reconciliation with Sam**_

_**You should probably steer clear**_

Fuck! Now what am I supposed to do? Is this why he wouldn't look at me this morning? Shit.

* * *

**SAM POV**

Connecting to my 10:30 call, my mind is heavy on her right now. I mean, she is always on my mind but right now, everything I look at reminds me of her. I greet the people on the phone and then click the mute button on my headset. I pick up my cell phone and swipe through my pictures. I swipe through several as I listen to Jonathan breakdown the logistics of our buyout deal with NG Tollins. I stop swiping and smile when I come across the first picture I took of the four of us. The kids had just completed the closing performance at band camp.

_**********FLASHBACK Saturday June 13th Continued**********_

"_Oh my god, I love this song." I look over and see her rocking from side to side and singing along. Halfway through the number, she climbs up on the bench and loses her mind when Ally steps forward with three other saxophone players. The quartet play a few bars of the song and then step back into the band's formation. "That's my baby!" She claps and sways her hands in the air from side to side. I just smile up and over at her as she continues to scream and cheer until the song is over. I then help her down._

_Once she settles, I lean over next to her ear. "What was the name of that song?"_

"_One Hundred Ways. My dad used to sing it to my mom all the time. Usually when he was in trouble." She chuckles. "I cannot believe they played that, and that Ally was featured on it! I cannot wait to tell him. He's going to be asking her to play it for him all the time now." She chuckles again as deep bass notes are played, and both of our eyes are drawn to the field. The band has formed four even rows at center field. The front two rows are made of saxophone, trombone, trumpet and tuba players with all other instruments filed in evenly behind them. The front two rows play the first few notes and then the drumline seemingly appears from out of nowhere and walks forward through the four rows adding a bouncy beat. Once the drumline gets to the front, the whole band joins in and rocks from side to side in time with the music. Then they start to move around and create different formations on the field. One is a star, then the letters F, S, and U, and then what I think was a football. We all cheer loudly for them when the music stops. Then a fast cadence begins to play, and they march off the field._

_When most of the crowd has left the area we are sitting in, I take her hand and lead her down to the field. When we reach it, I look over at her. "You ready for this?"_

_She squeezes my hand. "Ready as I'll ever be."_

_We both look around in the sea of bodies to find Zack and Ally. After a few minutes, I see Zack walking toward me with a smirk on his face. I smirk back and then look over at her and see that she's still busy looking for Ally._

_Zack approaches us. "Hi Dad."_

"_Hey Zack. Great job today." I look over to make sure I have her attention and then look back to him. "Zack, I want you to meet someone. This is Mercedes." I then look over and smile at her. "Mercedes, this is my son Zack."_

"_It's nice to meet you Zack. Awesome job on those drums." _

_He smiles at her. "Thanks, and it's nice to meet you too."_

_Just then a ball of energy appears and throws an arm over her shoulder. "Hi Pumpkin." She lets go of my hand, turns and fully hugs her. "Oh my goodness. Grampy is going to go nuts when we tell him that you were featured on his favorite song." The girl beams at her mom. "We will call him later but first I want you to meet someone. "Ally, this is Sam." She takes my hand again as she smiles up at me. "Sam, this is my daughter Ally."_

"_Hi Ally. You did an amazing job. Congratulations."_

"_Thank you Sam. It's nice to meet you."_

"_It's nice to meet you too, and I think you met my son Zack early this week."_

"_I did. Hey Zack."_

"_Hey Ally."_

_There is an awkward silence and I immediately fill it. "So, I believe we are headed to Dave and Buster's a little later for dinner. Right now, I thought maybe we could go back to the hotel and you two could enjoy the pool." They both nod. "Good. So, are you two ready to go?"_

_Ally shakes her head. "I've got to go get my bag."_

"_Me too. Come on, I'll walk with you." Zack gestures with his head and they move to go collect their belongings._

"_Wait, I want a picture first." I see Zack roll his eyes and then shake his head. He stands next to Ally. Ally and Mercy are between us and Mercy puts her arm around Ally. I hold my phone up and at an angle to capture everyone and then I put my arm around Mercy's shoulder. "OK, everybody look up and smile." I snap a couple of pictures and then look over at Zack and Ally. "OK. We will meet you two right here." I slide my phone back into my pocket and grab Mercy's hand._

"_OK."_

_When the kids have walked off, I turn to face her and grab her other hand. "So far, so good?"_

_She slowly nods as she moves closer to me, throwing her head back to look up at me. "Yep, so far, so good."_

_I smile, nod in response and then lean down and quickly kiss her lips._

"_Break it up you two. There are children in the area." We both turn to see Spencer and Alistair walking up behind us. I immediately feel tension fill my body. Mr. Touchy Feely is here._

_She smiles and waves at them. "Hey guys. Did you see her?"_

"_Of course we did." A big smile spreads across Spencer's face. "And I recorded it. Papa J is going to be my best friend, once I send it to him." He tugs Mercy away from me and hugs her, too damn long and too damn tight for my liking. I look over at Alistair to break the death glare I'm sure I was throwing his way. Alistair gives me a quick nod and a weak smile. I nod at him in return._

"_Send it to me too Spence." She pulls away from him and then reaches back to take my hand. I bet she somehow sensed the change in my mood. "Ally will be right back. She went to get her stuff."_

"_Good. We've got to get to the airport soon." I watch as Spencer glances aver at Alistair and then back at us._

_I keep my hand tight around hers and keep a faint smile on my lips. I guess my grip was too tight because I feel her stroking my bicep. I look down to meet her eyes and she cocks her head to the side as she puckers her lips and air kisses me. It immediately calms me. I grin and nod at her, just as I hear fast approaching steps behind me. I turn just in time to see Ally launch herself into her father's arms. "Hi Daddy."_

"_Hey Buggy." _

_She draws away from him and nudges him in the stomach with her elbow. Then she moves over to Alistair. "Hi Pop A."_

"_Hey princess. Great job today." He hugs her._

"_Thank you." She pulls away, turns and then gestures at Zack with her hand. "Dad, Pop A, this is Zack." She looks at Zack. "Zack, this is my dad, Spencer and his husband, Alistair."_

_Zack nods. "It's nice to meet you."_

"_Nice to meet you too." Spencer's voice comes across a little gruff. "How do you know Ally?"_

"_I met her here Sunday."_

_I then notice the change in Spencer's stance and decide to add my two cents. "Zack is my son." Spencer quickly looks over at me._

"_Oh, OK." I see his shoulders lower as he looks between me and Zack. "Yes, I see the resemblance. Forgive me, but you know, she's my little girl." I nod and wave him off because I get it. If I had a daughter, I would have reacted the exact same way. He glances down at his watch. "Well good people, Al and I have a plane to catch, so I guess we will see you back in Atlanta." He kisses both Ally and Mercy on their cheeks, then shakes both my and Zack's hands. Alistair kisses the girls as well and then nods at me and Zack. They turn and walk away. My eyes follow them for a few moments before I feel her hand on my bicep again._

_I clear my throat and look over at the kids. "You two all set to go?" They both nod and then follow as Mercy and I lead them to the car._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

Rain had moved out of the area by 11:00 so I went out to grab a sandwich from Subway for lunch. There was nothing at the apartment to eat and I was hungry. And I was craving my favorite, a Sweet Onion Teriyaki sub on Italian Herbs and Cheese bread. I just happen to get the last of the bread too, which prevented me from being late for my 1:00 call. Starting now, I've got back to back calls until 5:30. I guess that's one way to possibly keep my mind off how much my heart is hurting. Nothing and no one can stop my heart from hurting other than her. I quickly dial the number for my meeting. I'll text her as soon as I get situated on this call and have a few bites of my sub.

* * *

**MERCEDES POV**

Happy that the rain didn't stick around for too long, I decided to walk and pick up some lunch. After waiting for a fresh batch of my favorite bread, Italian Herbs and Cheese, I took the scenic route back to my office building. By the time I get back, it's just a few minutes after 1:00. As I am enjoying my sandwich, I remember that I need to text Ally, and Spence, to let them know that I will be home late tonight. I finish my texts to each of them and pick up my sub to take another bite, when a chime sounds from my phone. I suspect it's a response from either Ally or Spence. I take a quick bite, pick up the phone and sigh as tears immediately spring to my eyes.

**I miss you so much Mercy. Please talk to me. Email me, call me, text me, write me a letter, send me a telegram, I don't care, just anything. At least let me know you are OK.**

I swallow the food in my mouth and then do what I have been doing every time I get a message from him. I respond out loud, as if he is here with me or as if he is talking to me on the phone. "I'm OK babe and I miss you too. I've got a big meeting coming up tomorrow, one that could change my life forever, if I am able to land the account. That's if I don't get fired today. Don't worry about it, babe. If it happens, I'll just have to dust myself off and find another job. Give Zack a hug for me and I'll give Ally one for you. Bye babe." I close the message and swipe at the tear that rolled out of the corner of my eye. I look over at the mail on my desk and still. I never thought of that. I can send him a letter in the mail. There is no way she is able to know who I send mail to. I rest my head in my hands and rub my temples. How in the world did it get to this? Maybe it's routine for him since he is supposedly rich, but this is so far out of left field for me. She threatens my family to get me out of the way. What for? What's the point? If Sam wanted to be with her, wouldn't he? Does she think by keeping me away from him, that he will just come back to her like she and I are the only two women in the world? What about the next woman? Is she going to threaten anyone he tries to be with? And then what? He's just going to magically agree that he wants to be with her again? This is madness and hurting my head the more I try to understand it. I glance back over at the mail. I am going to write him a letter. I've been wanting to reach out to him in some way, but old-fashioned snail mail never crossed my mind. I was tempted to ask Ally to be a go-between in order to talk to him, but I nixed that idea because it's not fair to involve her or Zack in this. I stand, walk over to my file cabinet and grab a notebook.

* * *

**SAM POV**

I have the television muted as I listen to projected sales figures for the 3rd quarter. This is more Jonathan's focus, so I'm not exactly as tuned in as I probably should be. I glance over at the screen and see a commercial for Dave and Buster's. It immediately brings a smile to my face. The last time I was there we got caught by the kids. It was also the night we made it official.

_**********FLASHBACK Saturday June 13th Continued**********_

_The kids had a great time at the pool. Mercedes didn't get in, but she sat in one of the lounge chairs and watched as Zack and I chased and flipped each other before he and Ally teamed up against me. We went back to the rooms, showered and are now at Dave and Buster's. The kids scarfed down their food and took off to play some games. She and I are cuddled in the booth sharing a Brookie Sundae._

_I gesture toward the dessert with my spoon. "Everything you see here?" She nods. "Everything on here is what I want on my Mercy Sundae."_

_She tries to hide her smile as she spoons some of the brownie into her mouth. "Duly noted."_

"_Excellent." I smile at her and take some of the dessert for myself. "You supply this, and I'll supply the White Chocolate." _

_She laughs out loud at that. "You're a mess."_

_I shrug my shoulders. "Maybe, but as long as I'm your mess, I'm happy."_

_She looks up and over at me and stares for a moment. "Do you want to be my mess?"_

"_Well duh. I thought I made that clear." I study her eyes and give her a lopsided smile. "Yes, I would be honored to be your mess."_

_A wide beautiful smile spreads across her face. "Then you're my mess."_

_I lean down and plant a soft kiss on her lips. When we part, she smiles and then freezes. I look to see what caused her reaction and see both Ally and Zack standing next to the table with their arms crossed. Ally is smirking and Zack looks annoyed. "I told you Zack. You owe me twenty bucks, pay up." She smiles and then slides into the booth. Zack slides in next to her._

_Mercedes eyes Ally. "What's that about? Why does Zack owe you twenty dollars?"_

"_We made a bet that when we came back to the table that we would catch you two in a lip lock." Ally grabs a spoon and scoops a piece of the brownie into her mouth._

"_You owe me twenty bucks Dad."_

"_How's that?"_

"_Cause you couldn't keep your lips off of her."_

"_Can you blame me?" She punches me in the arm. "Are you guys all done?"_

"_Yes. They'll be closing soon."_

"_Well, let's get out of here."_

_We get back to the hotel and the kids go off to take their showers. I pull her into my room and back her up against the wall. I devour her mouth, feverishly sucking, biting and licking her lips. She moans and I instantly harden. She trails her hands up from my shoulders and into my hair. I wait to feel her nails and when I do, I surprise her by picking her up and walking us to the bed. She whimpers and tries to pull away, but I'm determined to get my fill of her before the kids interrupt us. I lie on top of her, run my right hand from her thigh up to her chest and squeeze the mountain of flesh there. The sound of something metallic hitting the bathroom floor stills us and I jump up, pulling her with me. We both straighten our clothes and then she quickly walks back over to her room, throwing a mischievous look back at me as she does. I sit down on the bed and try to slow down my breathing just as Zack exits the bathroom._

"_You can have the shower now."_

"_OK." I playfully shove him as I walk to the bathroom. First order of business is to relieve myself yet again._

**********END OF FLASHBACK**********

* * *

**MERCEDES POV**

"Hey Cedes, I just wanted to stop in before I head out today to make sure you are all set for your meeting with E&E tomorrow."

"Yes, I think so."

"Have you already hired your car?"

"Yes, I did. I will be working at home tomorrow before the meeting so the car will pick me up there."

"Good. I just emailed the meeting materials to you."

"Let me check." I walk over to my desk and move the mouse to wake up the computer. I glance at the items in my email to see if it is there. "Yes, I got them."

"Great." She hands me a stack of folders. "Here are the copies you requested. Anything else you need?"

"Can you find out which room we are meeting in tomorrow?"

"Let me get that for you." I wait while she taps the screen on her tablet several times. "Yes. You're in The Alexander."

"Ok. Can you call ahead and make sure there is a projector available?"

"Will do. Anything else doll?"

"No, I think that will do it. Thanks so much for your help today Margo! I really appreciate it!"

"Anytime. Good luck tomorrow. Have a great evening."

"Thanks, and you too Margo." I look over at the clock. It's 5:40. Mr. Rose should be calling me into his office any minute now. Several things are running through my head right now. First and foremost, would be that he is firing me. I mean, why else would he wait until the end of the day to meet with me? Actually, I've already prepared myself for it. I'll just have to pick myself up and find a job at another company. If not here, then in Kentucky. I've looked at a few properties near my parents. I hate to have to do that to Ally. She has her dad and Alistair here and friends that she's had since kindergarten. I don't want to take that away from her, but if this bitch has managed to get me fired, blacklisted cannot be far behind. And if being fired and blacklisted isn't enough, that bitch's incessant texts and all the innuendo are really getting to me. I don't engage with her of course, but reading the messages when they arrive, keeps me on high alert. I think I've figured out that the information she has on us she obtained from stalking my social media profiles. I don't even use those things anymore, but it's all there for anyone to see. Like the pictures from years ago when mom retired, my post announced to everyone that she was retiring and opening her own interior design firm. The new sign dad has for his practice is out there. It's easy to deduce from those that he is a dentist. The city and state are listed on that sign too. My hometown is listed on two different sites. My brother Michael's video submission to be in a Fireman's calendar includes footage from all the close calls that he has had. That footage also includes a still of him in full firefighting gear with the name and location of his fire house. The picture Spencer and I took together at the opening of his art gallery with the caption – 'Ex-Spouse Goals' – got a lot of likes. Right next to it, is one of Alistair kissing my cheek as Spencer smiles over at us. That caption – 'My Hubby loves my Ex-Wifey as much as I do' – still makes me giggle. She could easily have gathered everything in that folder from all of that. The only thing that I am not sure about is how she knows where I live or what my house looks like. That information is not on any of my accounts and it is what scares me the most. For that, I can only conclude that she has followed me or Ally or both of us at some point. That doesn't sit well with me at all, and it is all the motivation I need to continue to do what she demands to keep my daughter safe. At least until I have figured out how she knows so much about my daughter and where we live. If I could just figure out if there was another way for her to know where we live, I wouldn't be so paranoid all the time. I'm not listed in directory assistance. When I Google my name, nothing appears but my social media sites. I am pulled out of my thoughts when my desk phone buzzes. I lean over and press the button to answer.

"Yes."

"Mercedes, Mr. Rose and Mr. Potts are ready for you."

"OK, I'll be right there." I stand, square my shoulders and exit my office. Regardless of what happens, I will keep my head held high. I walk down the long corridor to Mr. Rose's office. Once I enter the reception area, Vicky gestures for me to go in, but I knock on his closed door first and wait for his invitation.

"Come in." I open the door as he and his partner, Mr. Harold Potts, stand. I close the door behind me and then walk toward the center of the room where they are still standing. "Ms. Jones, please have a seat." I smile, nod and then sit in an armchair across from the two chairs that they have now occupied. "Thank you for staying later than usual to meet with us. I was made aware of something today that concerns me a great deal." Mr. Rose glances over to Mr. Potts with a raised eyebrow and then looks back at me as I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. "I understand that you have a meeting with a representative from E&E tomorrow, is that correct?"

"Yes sir." I nod and shift slightly in my chair.

Mr. Rose glances over at Mr. Potts again and then looks back at me. "Are you fully aware of how important this client would be to our company?"

I clear my throat. "Yes sir. E&E is a multi-billion-dollar company whose clientele holds presences in most of the 50 states. Landing the account could increase revenue for our company by 45% within the first month alone."

"Exactly, so I am hoping you can help me understand why we, the owners of this company, are just now hearing about this meeting?"

"Sir?"

"We had no idea that E&E was even looking for new representation or that they had contacted us for a meeting until today. Margo mentioned it to Vicky, who advised me. So, am I to believe that you have prepared for this meeting without any assistance from the company's owners?"

"Yes sir, but-"

"No 'buts' necessary Ms. Jones. Margo provided a copy of your meeting materials to us and we looked them over. Let's just say we are extremely impressed." Finally, smiles break out across both of their faces.

"Thank you, sir."

Mr. Potts chimes in. "Yes, Ms. Jones. This is 'corner office' impressive." My eyes widen.

"That's got her Harry."

"I knew it would." Mr. Potts laughs out loud. "Listen to me, if you land this account, that office is yours, along with a very sizeable bonus and an additional two weeks of vacation."

I exhale and smile widely. "Wow."

Mr. Rose continues. "Yes. And just so you know, you have our full support on this, do whatever you need to do to close the deal. I'll have Vicky set up a quick call for the three of us at 7:30 tomorrow evening so that you can give us an update on how the meeting went."

"Of course."

"Now, let's have a pre-celebratory drink." He stands and calls Vicky, who enters seconds later with a bottle of champagne and three glasses. We toast and then I listen to them talk, mostly about their families. After a few questions between the two, Mr. Potts, directs a question to me. "Do you have children Ms. Jones?"

"Just one, a daughter, she'll be fourteen in a few weeks."

"Where does she go to school?"

"She's at Donaldson Academy."

"Oh yes." Mr. Rose nods. "My stepdaughter, Marley, works there in the cafeteria. I mean I think she still does." Wait a minute. What did he just say? That bitch! I try to keep a straight face as he continues. I take a sip from my glass to hide my scowl. "She jumps around from job to job so much I can't keep up." He shakes his head. "This time last year, I think she was working at the Applebee's there on Preston." He chuckles and I want to explode. "Anyway, from what her mother tells me, she just started the job in the cafeteria this year. I also have two sons; Alan is 23 and LJ is 27. They both work in corporate law." I just nod my head as I feel myself getting madder. Oh, this bitch. Her ass is mine.

About fifteen minutes later, I get final good luck wishes from them and then head back to my office. I walk quickly, almost running, with anger across my face. I enter my office and then slam the door behind me. I am ready to go find this bitch, right now, and beat her ass into the ground. How dare she? She's just going to throw out threats against my family like it's nothing. No, fuck that. I sit down at my desk and pick up my phone to re-read the texts she's been sending to me. When I open up my messages, Sam's last message appears. Sam. I should reach out to him now and let him know about this, but the fact that he hasn't been honest about who he is with me gives me pause. He's been lying to me this whole time. Of course, I can understand him doing it in the beginning. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in his shoes, but three months is a long time to keep me in the dark. I'll need to figure out how to handle that later. Right now, my mind is on getting even with the bitch. She cannot even keep a job. Am I supposed to believe that she has the resources to do what she has threatened me with? Obviously, she got our address from student files at the school. That's how she saw the change in Ally's hairstyle. That's how she knows that Ally rides the school bus home from school. I stand up from my desk and forcefully exhale. I pack up my laptop and the materials for my meeting. I forward my office phone to voice mail, grab my purse from the coat rack and then exit my office. I need a drink. A tall stiff one.

* * *

**SAM POV**

"Hello"

"Hi. Sam?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is Max at Pandillo's."

"Oh hey Max. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry to bother you but wanted to let you know that our camera on the front entrance did capture an image of a woman entering the bistro last Wednesday. No one recognizes her and we never saw her exit through the front entrance, so it makes us believe that she may have been on the patio and exited through those doors. I know it's a long shot, but no one can place her with any of our regulars."

"Can you tell me what she looks like?"

"It's hard to say. It seems she was trying to disguise herself when she entered. She was wearing dark sunglasses, a long jacket and had a scarf around her head. She does appear to be white. I mean, maybe, maybe not, but her complexion is light. We thought that you may be able to recognize her even in the get-up she had on, so wanted to let you know."

"OK. Thank you, Max. I'll stop by tomorrow around noon if that's alright."

"Sure, that's fine Sam."

"Thank Naomi for me as well. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome Sam."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then."

I end the call and smile. I can't believe Max and Naomi continued looking at that grainy footage all this time. Now I'm anxious to see what they found. I glance down at my phone and see that it is nearing 7:30. I'm full of nervous energy right now. It's too early to go to bed, besides I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I glance at my schedule for tomorrow. I have one meeting in the office at 10:00 and then my meeting with Mercy is from 3:00 until 7:00, but the rest of my day is free. My phone rings again and I notice that it is my driver/head of security/bodyguard/friend Tony.

"Sam."

"Hey Tony."

"Truck's ready."

"OK."

"I can bring it to you tonight if you'd like."

"Yes please."

"OK. I'll be there in about an hour."

"OK. Thanks man."

"Sure." Good old Tony. He's a man of few words. I chuckle as I hang up with Tony and slip on my sandals to go out to the car. I need to get any of my personal effects out of it before it gets too dark. I go to the trunk first, take a quick glance inside and then close it. I go to the driver's seat next, reach over and lower the passenger-side visor and look for anything I may have stored there. Finding nothing, I return it to its original position and then lower the driver-side visor, removing the tattered piece of brown paper and sliding it in my front pocket. I close it and then check the dashboard. Next, I open the console between the seats and remove the few receipts and pocket change there. I check the glove compartment, the floorboards and then the compartments inside each door. I close the door and then open the back driver-side door. The seats are clear, but something white on the floor catches my eye. It's sticking out from under the driver seat. I pick it up and see it is an envelope. There isn't any writing on either side, but I feel a small hard object inside it. Something to go with those random dates, I'm sure. I shake my head and slide it in my back pocket. I cannot deal with that craziness right now. I've got to finish cleaning out this car and then I want to relax for a bit before I get something to eat. I've not driven this car that much, so after quickly checking under each seat, I close the door and go back into the apartment.

When I get back inside, I go to the couch and sit. I've amassed a lot of mail over the past few days, so I resign myself to go through it and pitch anything that is not important. I've sorted through it quickly and find that the stack pretty much consisted of several credit card offers, personal loan approval letters, restaurant coupons and a few small bills. I take the bills and slide them into my briefcase. I'll have Harriet take care of those tomorrow. I pitch the coupons and take the credit card offers and the loan approval letters over to my shredder to destroy them. Once that is finished, I go back to the couch to see what is left. Catalogs from Lexus, BMW and the informational booklet from Wallingsford High School. I grab the booklet and sit back on the couch to look through it. I move to open it but stop when there is a knock at the door. That should be Tony. I drop the booklet, stand, grab the key to the BMW and then go to answer it.

"It's all set. I filled the tank up too."

"Thanks Tony." I pass the key to him as he passes the key to my truck over to me.

"Sure thing boss. Call me if you need anything else."

"Will do." He turns and leaves. He just makes me chuckle. I close the door and then go back over to the couch. I reach for the booklet but then decide to watch a movie instead. I'm not in the mood to read and television will keep my mind occupied as well. I click on the television and notice that it is nearing 8:30. It's tuned to ESPN so I just leave it there and go into the kitchen to find something to eat. All I have is soup. I've got to get to the market. I decide on tomato soup again and quickly make a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it. I shift the catalogs and the booklet over and eat my dinner as I watch a segment on the top plays of the night. As the segment begins, there is a few quick flashes of different marching bands displayed before the number ten play is highlighted. I grin and think back to Zack and Ally's performance at band camp. It gives me an idea. Something definitely presumptuous but nevertheless perfect for her. I smile as I think about how to pull it off.

Finished with my dinner, I clear my dishes from the table, click off the television and start to get ready for bed. I begin emptying my pockets and remember the envelope in my back one. I pull it out and place it on the dresser. I'll deal with that tomorrow, right now I want nothing but a hot shower and then bed.

* * *

**A/N: The long-anticipated meeting happens in the next chapter and it is a doozy. I'm editing it now and want to make sure it is ****PERFECT,**** so I am asking for forgiveness up front if it takes me a bit longer than usual to update.**


	16. An Abrupt Change of Heart

**A rollercoaster of emotions in this chapter. Be prepared.**

* * *

Wednesday September 16th

My alarm wakes me right at 7:20. As soon as I sit upright, my mind and heartbeat begins to race about everything that I hope the day will bring. If my day goes as planned, I will have Mercy back in my arms tonight. I smile at the thought as I stand and go into the bathroom to take a shower. Once I am showered and dressed, I go to my dresser and pick up my watch. My eye catches the envelope I found in the car last night. I fasten my watch in place and grab the envelope. I take it into the living room and slide it into my briefcase. I'll deal with that when I get to the office. I pick up my keys and walk out the door.

Arriving at my office about thirty minutes later, I call Harriett, greeting her with a 'good morning' and then asking her to get me some coffee. She knocks on my door a minute later. "Come in." She brings the coffee to me with a smile. "Thank you, Harriett."

"You're welcome sir.'

"I'll be leaving for my meeting with Rose & Potts at 2:30. If you don't have anything that needs your attention, you can leave for the day as well."

"Thank you Mr. Evans."

"Sure." She exits my office and I open my briefcase to remove the envelope. I open it and find a note inside.

_I hope this helps. Forgive my son's antics in the foreground._

Included with the note is a flash drive. I take the drive, power up my laptop and insert it into an available port. The media player screen opens, and I see a small boy's face close to the camera. Then he leans back, and his eyes focus on something above the camera. As soon as the little boy waves and sits back further in his seat, my eyes take in the objects in the background of the video. That's when I see the familiar surroundings. It's the patio at Pandillo's. I immediately gasp. She's there. Whoever gave this to me captured it while sitting at one of the tables across from our favorite one. Could this be video from last week? My heartbeat races and my hands shake as my eyes widen. Right now, the camera is only capturing Mercy's half of our table and my eyes stay trained on her. I can tell that her eyes are focused on something currently out of the camera's range. I see her lips move and then the camera shakes slightly as whoever is holding it appears to be readjusting their grip. The video straightens mere seconds later, zooms out and that's when anger takes over my entire body. My lips tighten and my eyes fill with rage as the video abruptly stops. My eyes remain on the now black screen for several moments before my mind tells me to click the button to replay it.

Ninety minutes and numerous replays later, I am beyond livid. I'm putting a stop to her bullshit today. I pull out my phone and send her a text message.

_**Been thinking and you're right, we should be able to have a drink together. Can you meet me at the Hyatt at 6?**_

Her response is almost immediate.

_**Yes of course. I'll be there. Thank you Sam**_

I quickly respond.

_**See you then**_

* * *

At the end of my 10:00 call, I place a call to Max at Pandillo's.

"This is Max."

"Hi Max. It's Sam."

"Hey Sam."

"I was just calling to tell you that I have found out the mystery person that spoke with Mercedes last week."

"Oh yeah, how did you find out?"

"Someone there at the Bistro. I found a note and a flash drive in my car last night. When I looked at it today, it was of a little brown-haired boy holding a sign up telling his dad happy birthday. It captured Mercedes in the background and the person she was talking to."

"That would be Destiny and Braedon. They are here every Wednesday and Saturday."

"Please apologize to her that I cannot thank her in person, but if everything goes as plan, I will be able to next week."

"Sure thing Sam. And thanks for letting me know. This is the best news. I'll be sure to tell Naomi and I hope to see you both next week."

"Thanks Max."

* * *

Hours later, I am a ball of nervous energy as I drive to the Hyatt for our meeting. I enter the VIP parking lot and pull into the first available space. I glance over at the clock and see that I am fifteen minutes early. I take several deep, cleansing breaths and then exit my truck. I enter the lobby and use the guide on the main wall to locate the room reserved for our meeting. Seeing that it is just a few feet away, I take another deep breath and then approach the door. It's ajar, and I hear her humming to herself on the other side. I slowly push the door open further and then enter The Alexander Room to find her facing away from the door, busying herself with several folders that are placed around the small conference table. She is wearing a black knee-length pencil skirt with a dark green blouse and a pair of black heels. Her hair is pulled back in a low bun. I stand there and take her in for a few moments. I try to quietly close the door behind me but the 'click' of the door gets her attention.

When she turns around, surprise and fear immediately appear on her face. "What are you doing here Sam? You can't be here."

"You look beautiful." I move toward her.

She backs away with her shoulders pitched high and her hands up in surrender. "Sam, what are you doing here?"

Her action sends a pang to my heart. I clear my throat. "We have a meeting scheduled from three to seven today."

"What? Wait - you work for E&E?" Her earlier facial expression re-emerges but this time it includes a bit of disbelief.

I nod my head and grin weakly. "My family owns E&E. I'm the CEO." I move toward her again.

She drops her hands to her side and relaxes her shoulders as she backs away again. "Why didn't you tell me that before now?"

"My own insecurities." I nervously look up at the ceiling and then back at her. While I didn't expect her to throw herself into my arms, I definitely didn't expect her to keep backing away from me.

"What does that even mean?" She throws her hands up and I see her lips tighten. "That's the second time you have mentioned your insecurities. What are you insecure about?"

"In each of the relationships I've been in, I was always trying to make sure whoever I was with, really wanted to be with me. I constantly worried that they would find someone they liked better. When I took over my family's company, my worry shifted from not being good enough, to being taken advantage of because of the money. I've never felt like I was worthy. Since taking over as CEO, when women found out what I have, they no longer wanted to get to know what's in here." I tap my right hand lightly against my heart. "What's in my wallet becomes more important. Therefore, I've been hiding that aspect of my life from you because I needed to be sure."

She folds her arms across her chest, but her face softens. "You didn't have to hide anything from me Sam."

"I know that now, but when I met you, if I had told you that I was a billionaire, would you have been so open and forthcoming with me about you? Would I have gotten to know the real you? Would you have even taken the time to get to know me? Would you have treated me the same? Or would you have shied away from me completely because of who I am?" I take another step closer to her.

She stares at me for a few moments, but she doesn't back away. "I don't know."

"Mercy, please give me a chance to come clean with you about everything now." I move a little closer to her.

"OK, I'm listening." She leans her head to one side.

I take a deep breath before starting. "OK, when I first noticed you standing in line with Ally for registration, I was immediately attracted to you. You took my breath away. My eyes stayed on you from that point on. When you turned in your emergency contact card, I scanned it to find out what hotel and room you were staying in so that I could change my accommodations from the Hyatt to the Marriott. To the room right next door. I upgraded the people that were staying in that room to a suite so that I could be near you. I know it's over the top but I'm a man who can, and will move heaven and earth to get what I want. I quickly leased the apartment I told you was my home so that I could be near you. Zack and I have not stayed at our house since before going to Florida. Baby, I know our initial meeting was not so innocent because I orchestrated most of it, but I don't regret anything I did to get next to you. Keeping up the pretense was the only thing I could think to do just to continue to be close to you. But that's it. Everything else between us has been genuine. So billionaire Sam is the same man that you've spent the last three months getting to know. He just has a hell of a lot more money. He still is as crazy about you as he has been since he met you. I apologize for keeping this from you, but it was only done to protect my heart more than anything else. I've been burned too many times. So now knowing everything, does it change your feelings for me?"

"Of course not!" She fiercely shakes her head and I take that as my green light. I quickly move to her, but she jumps back and holds her hands up to stop me. "I can understand why you did it, but it doesn't change the fact that I cannot be with you. At least not right now."

I angrily exhale and rest my hands at my sides. "Why?" I study her solemn face and clench my teeth together. "Is it because of something Marley said to you?"

Her jaw drops and she lowers her hands. "How did you know that?"

"A good Samaritan at Pandillo's."

Her eyes narrow at me. "What?"

"Beautiful, listen, I've been trying to figure out what happened since it happened. While I was waiting for you at Pandillo's, Max was there. I asked him about their video cameras. He told me the one on the patio is out but let me look at what they had recorded by the bar and the front entrance. That didn't amount to anything but apparently, someone else got wind of what I was trying to discover and left a flash drive in my car. I just came across it last night and looked at it this morning. I'm kicking myself for not noticing it before last night. Had I, I would have saw that Marley was there with you. I can only assume that what she said to you is the reason you fled. So, Mercy, baby please tell me what happened."

She shakes her head as she wrings her hands together. "Sam, it doesn't matter what she said. You may be better off forgetting about me and moving on with your life." She turns away from me.

I walk up behind her and place my hands on her shoulders. "Honey, you are in my heart now and you aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Both you and Ally are very important to me. Mercy, I cannot sleep. I cannot eat. I miss you. I want you back, no I need you back. Please tell me wha-"

She interrupts me. "You know, I've always wondered why you never told me much about her. Is it because you want to be with her again? I mean, I would understand, if that is what you want."

She tries to wiggle her shoulders out of my hold, but I turn her around to face me instead. I lightly grip her shoulders and lock on her eyes. "Please baby. Just listen to me. Marley has been out of my life for six years. Once our divorce was final, we did not keep in contact. That all changed two weeks ago. That was the first time I laid eyes on her, since we divorced. She came to my office. I didn't question how she knew where I worked, I just asked her what she wanted. That's when she started her crazy talk about wanting to get back together for Zack's sake. I laughed her off and told her that I was not interested. But she didn't stop there. She began calling and texting all the time until I finally told her if she did it again, I would go to my attorney. I haven't heard from her since that day. But today, once I viewed what was on the flash drive, I texted her and asked her to meet me here for a drink."

Another look of surprise coupled with hatred spreads across her face. "She's here?"

I shake my head. "No, not yet. I told her to meet me in the lounge at six. I want to address this and get it behind us once and for all. She is my past and she is going to stay there. I know I never really told you about my history with her. You've told me all about yours with Spencer. I should have shared our history with you then, but I didn't, but I will, right now if you let me."

"You don't have to do that Sam, not if you don't want to, your history with her doesn't matter to me."

"I understand that, but I'd like you to know." She nods. I lead her to the nearest chair. As she sits, I move one for me directly in front of her and take a seat. I grab both of her hands. "OK. I met her at the beginning of my junior year at Purdue. I was a junior and she was an incoming freshman. She started the same year as one of my cousins. I first saw her when I was helping my cousin, Kristy, move into her dorm room. She was staying on the same floor, a few doors down. As fate would have it, Marley and I ended up in the same music appreciation class. I sat in the row behind her. She would smile up at me when she took her seat. She did that every time. One day I dropped my pen and it landed right at her feet. She passed it back to me and that's the day I finally learned her name. For the next few weeks, we would speak in passing. I could tell she had a crush on me, and I thought she was cute, but I was worried about the age difference. I've never been the hookup type so long-term plans are always in my head when I ask someone out. I hadn't dated anyone seriously since I had graduated high school, so it took me almost three months to even ask her out. Don't get me wrong, I was physically attracted to her, but there never was a spark. There were no problems, we never argued, everything was just nice. And that's how it was the entire two years we dated in college. Then with my graduation nearing, I thought it would be best for the two of us to go our separate ways. We didn't have anything in common and like I said there wasn't a spark. Our sexual chemistry is what kept us together as long as it did. A few days before graduation, I sat down with her and talked about it and she agreed. So, we parted as friends. Now flash forward, two years later, I am back at Purdue for Kristy's graduation, and who do I run into while leaving the men's room? Marley. She was breath-taking. She looked completely different from the last time I had seen her. She was dressing sexier, her hair was longer and she seemed more sure of herself. Because physical attraction was never an issue with us, we talked for a bit that night and I invited her to meet up the next day for coffee. We quickly fell back into a relationship after that coffee date and she moved to Indianapolis to live with me soon thereafter. Then as the days passed, I begin to notice that everything was always the same. The same look, the same hairstyle, she even wore the same type of clothes. Always mini-skirts and always with low-cut sleeveless shirts that showed off her cleavage. It was like someone told her to dress that way to keep a man. So five months in, my physical attraction to her was completely gone. I finally came to see that everything I thought had changed in her was all an act. By that time, I had also learned that she had dropped out of Purdue during her junior year. See, I had assumed she had graduated with Kristy but no. She was at the ceremony as a guest of another graduate. When I received a job offer here in Atlanta, I knew it was time to call it quits with her. The day I ended things with her was the day that we conceived Zack. Yes, I know, I shouldn't have, but I did, and then packed up and moved here. Two and a half months later, I get an email from her telling me that she was pregnant. I was floored. It took me a few days to get back with her and I told her that I would support her with whatever her decision was. She wanted to keep it. Now, my southern roots told me that I had to marry her. I broke the news to my parents, who were furious and so disappointed, but they rallied behind me and gave me their support. I reached out to her and told her that she should move to Atlanta so that we could raise our child together. She was here by the weekend and two weeks later we were at the courthouse getting married."

"Wow, Sam. Just. Wow." I feel her thumbs gently rubbing against my fingers.

I nod my head and continue. "Zack came along six months later. When he arrived, I felt like my decision to marry her was the best decision I had ever made. She was a great mother. In all the time that we had been together, and even on the day we got married, I was never in love with her, but seeing how nurturing, caring and loving she was with our child, I began to fall in love with her. I started doing more to show her how much she meant to me. We were happy. We were growing as a couple and having more fun together. Once Zack turned five, we both wanted to extend our family, so we began trying. Around this time, I had to go to New York on business. I hated being away from both of them. So I ended up catching the red-eye to get home to them quicker, and when I got home I found her screwing another man in our bed. I was crushed. I checked into a hotel and that's where I stayed for week. She never reached out to me once. Next thing I know, I am being served with divorce papers. She didn't even want to try counseling, she just wanted a divorce. It was finalized about three months later. A year or so after the divorce, she finally apologized, and I forgave her, but I never looked back. The only time we communicated after her apology was when we were handing Zack off to each other. We would say hi and bye and that's it. When he turned ten, I started dropping him off and waiting for him to go into her house. It's the same when I pick him up, I just wait for him to come out. And that's how it has been for the last four years."

She studies my eyes for a moment. "So, why do you think she popped back into your life after all this time?"

"I suspect that she somehow found out about my appointment as CEO of E&E." She gives me a confused look. "Beautiful, I didn't become CEO until two years ago. Tomorrow will make it two years exactly. Before that, I worked as a graphics designer. I made a comfortable living, but it doesn't compare to what I have now."

She gently slides one hand out of mine to rest her elbow on the table. She appears to be mulling something over in her mind as I watch her rub her thumb against her fingertips. Her eyes focus on something in the distance for a bit and then she looks at me. "To me, that means she is looking to get back with you because of the money."

"That's the only reason I can come up with too. Like I said, once I caught her with that guy, it took her a year to even apologize to me. When she showed up at my office last week, she kept going on about how she needed me to forgive her. When I told her I had, she automatically thought that meant we were getting back together, but I made it clear to her then that we were not. She was back again the next day saying the same thing and I told her it wasn't going to happen. That day, I also told her in a roundabout way that I was seeing someone."

"Someone? You didn't tell her my name?"

"No, it isn't her business."

She leans forward and takes my hand. "OK, hear me out Sam. It is her business who is around her son. She has a right to know, just like you have a right to know who she has around him. I mean, how would you feel if you found out she was seeing someone who turned out to be a dangerous criminal or a pedophile?" She raises and eyebrow at me, then quickly shakes her head. "I know I'm getting off topic, but I'm just saying. Anyway, it really doesn't matter that you didn't tell her my name because she found it out on her own. She even knows that you call me Mercy."

"She found that out from Zack. That's the only way she would know."

"You're probably right. Thank you for telling me about your history with Marley. And thank you for finally telling me the truth about who you are. I'll admit I was upset about that when I first learned of it, but I understand why you did it, and I even forgive you for taking so long to tell me the truth." She smiles over at me, but it is a smile that I am not happy to see. She slides her hands out of mine, stands and walks a few steps away from me, and then faces me with sad eyes. "But none of what you have told me changes the reason that we cannot be together."

I dart out of the chair and reach her in one stride. I grab her hands. "But why Mercy? Please just tell me what she said. Please talk to me. If you are going to remove yourself from my life, can't I at least know the reason? Can't I defend myself to you for anything she had to say? Please don't take what she said at face value without giving me a chance to explain it."

She ponders my words and then nods her head. "OK. She approached me after we got off the phone and told me that I needed to stop all communication with you, or she would make my life uncomfortable. I thought she was crazy but then she pulled out a file of information on me and my family. I mean she knows where I live Sam. She said she would have me fired and blacklisted. She said she would harm my brother, Spencer and Alistair, plus she mentioned my mom and dad and their businesses. She didn't say she would do anything to Ally but that is immediately where my mind went, and she has been sending me all these text messages filled with innuendo." She pauses to catch her breath. She slides her hands from mine and then wipes her face of the tears that have rolled unchecked down her cheeks. "I was scared. I didn't know what to do, so I did what I had to do to keep my family safe. I've since found some things out, but I still don't know for sure if she is capable of doing what she said she would do if I didn't stop seeing you."

"Sssh. Come here baby. It's ok. Don't cry." I wrap my arms around her as she buries her head against my chest and sobs. "I can take care of her. She cannot, and will not keep us apart." She pulls away and shakes her head. "What's wrong baby?"

I wait until her sniffles are done. "I still don't think we can work. We're too different."

I wince at her words. "You don't mean that Mercy. You told me that the money didn't matter. Aside from that, I'm the same man. I'm the same man that you planned a weekend trip with for our kids. I'm the same man that you said you were working on a long-term relationship with. I'm the same man that will take any opportunity to put my hands on you. I'm still me. What is so different about us now?" She lowers her eyes to the floor. "Or is this 'difference' because of something that she said to you?"

"It doesn't matter." She shakes her head.

"Yes, it does. I want to know. What else did she say? Tell me everything she said to you." She lowers her head and continues to shake her head. "Come on Mercy. Tell me. Please."

She exhales deeply and looks up at me. "OK, but before I do, I already know that I am hung up on what she said because it hits a nerve with me." She pauses for a moment and then continues. "She said something about you not being serious about me because you didn't tell me who you are, and because I have never seen your real house."

"And I've explained why I withheld those details from you."

"Right, I understand that now. But she also said that I was just a fetish to you. That I don't fit into your world and that I belong in the kitchen with the help." Her eyes lower to the floor again.

"Mercy, look at me." I grab her hands and wait until her eyes return to mine. "Listen to me. I started falling for you the moment you passed that pen to me at registration. I'll be the first to admit that I am mesmerized by your beautiful ass, I'm itching to touch it as we speak, but it is so much more than that. I'm lost without you. You balance me out. You are not a fetish to me. You are my dream Mercy. Please don't walk away from me because of what she said. Her words were not coming from a genuine place. She was saying whatever she needed to in order to hurt you and make you have doubts about my feelings for you. I don't want her, I want you and only you. I am crazy about you. Zack adores you and is very upset with me right now because he hasn't seen you or Ally in over a week. He just knows that I did something to screw this up and he is right, so I have to fix this for all of us, but especially for him. The file that she has on you and your family, I will take care of it. No harm will come to any of you. As far as her having you fired and blacklisted, that's not going to happen because you just landed the biggest client that firm has ever seen and if they do try to terminate your employment, there are plenty of other firms in this city that would be happy to have my account with you as the sole manager, or you can head up our internal team. Now as far as me not being serious about you, I think I explained that when I talked about my insecurities. You are it for me. When I scheduled this meeting with your office two weeks ago my plan was to tell you all about my business as well as why I hadn't told you before now. Then at the end of the meeting, I was going to ask if we could go get Ally so that I could take you both back to the mansion to meet up with Zack. Which I would still like to do if you are up for it?" I release her hands and use my thumbs to gently wipe her tears.

"Sam, I'm so sorry. I know you are right. I was just so afraid. When she showed up and started listing all of the information she had collected on me and my family, I panicked." I wrap my arms around her again as she rests her head back on my chest. "I think my imagination went into overdrive. I was afraid to call or send you a text because I feared that she would know. But then I started looking at everything that is listed on all of my social media sites. All the information she has, she could have easily collected from those. The only thing I wasn't sure about was how she knew where we lived and how she seemed to know so much about Ally and her routine."

"Did you figure that part out?"

She looks up at me. "I did, with the help of my boss. See, she led me to believe that she was 'daddy's little girl' who could snap her fingers and have him fire me if I didn't stop seeing you."

"Rose is not her father. He's her stepfather and from what I remember they aren't close. Her biological father died when she was six. Her mother wouldn't agree to marry him unless he adopted Marley." I take her hand and lead her back to her chair.

"Right, but I didn't know that. I had a meeting with he and Mr. Potts yesterday. We were making small talk and when I told them about Ally attending Donaldson, Mr. Rose told me she had just started a job in the cafeteria there."

"You know, I had been wondering what she was doing to make a living, because there is no way she could live off of the alimony payments alone."

She screws her face up in confusion. "Why are you paying her alimony when she cheated on you?"

"I felt obligated to provide for her." She smiles as she shakes her head. "I know, my buddies think I'm crazy for that, it just goes back to how I was raised. But the monthly support she currently gets is nowhere near what she would have gotten if I had been appointed CEO before we divorced." She chuckles and shakes her head. "What?"

"Just all of this. Like I said, at the start, I was in panic mode with a very overactive imagination. I mean she told me that she was spying on my phone and I believed her without question."

I chuckle. "I don't think her spy capabilities are that sophisticated. And even though I've been a complete mess, I understand why you reacted the way you did. I'm just sorry that she threatened you and your family in the first place." I take her hand and bring it up to my lips.

She smiles and then squeezes my hand. "I've missed you so much. I was scared to open the door to talk to you too because I thought maybe she or someone was watching the house. I would never forgive myself if something happened to my family because of me. But how did she know that I didn't know who you were?"

I bring my other hand to hers and cradle her hand between mine. "I don't know for certain, but I again suspect that she has been manipulating Zack to get information and he inadvertently gave it to her. Look, we will handle her together at six. I promise. I just need you back with me Mercy. I cannot function without you."

She slides her hand from my hold, stands and moves closer to me. When our knees touch, she hikes up her skirt, straddles my lap and places her hands on my shoulder. I keep my hands at her waist. "This past week has been hell for me without you too baby. I was trying to figure out a way to get in contact with you, and then your text yesterday helped me come up with one. So, I wrote you a letter." She giggles. "I would have brought it with me if I had known that you were who I was meeting. I mailed it this morning, so you should receive it within the next couple of days. When you get it, I want you to read it carefully, because every single word in it came straight from my heart."

I grin at her as my hands itch to move lower. "May I kiss you now?"

She nods her head. "Yes, right now, and make it a good one." She gives me that smile that I've been missing, and I just melt into her. I wrap my arms tightly around her waist and her hands have found their way to my favorite place: my hair. We make out fiercely for several minutes until her phone starts ringing. "Shit. I've got to get that. Don't move."

"Not a chance." She climbs off of me and I adjust my cock as my eyes stayed glued to her ass.

"It's Ally." She places a finger in front of her lips and answers it, putting it on speakerphone. "Hey sweetie. How was school?"

"It was fine. Where are you?"

"Remember, I told you I have a meeting from three to seven today."

"Oh, that's right. Sorry mom. I'll let you go."

"No, just wait, we're on a break." She winks at me. "I need to tell you something."

"OK.

"I will be starting a new job soon."

"Please don't tell me that it's in Kentucky."

"What's wrong with Kentucky?"

"It's not Atlanta. Mom, please. I don't want to move to Kentucky."

"Who said anything about moving to Kentucky?"

"You did."

"I did not. I said I will be starting a new job soon. You're the one who mentioned Kentucky."

"Oh, sorry. I guess I did. What's the new job?"

"It's for the biggest client in this city, probably in the whole country."

"Wow. Who is it?"

"Let me show you." I watch as she clicks a button on her phone. She smiles down at the screen and then turns the phone in my direction. I see my reflection and wave.

Ally screams. Like the highest pitched scream I've ever heard. "Sam!?"

I chuckle. "Hi sweetheart."

"What is happening?"

"I'll explain it to you later, but Sam and I have talked things over."

"Does Zack know?"

I stand up and walk over next to Mercy. "No, and please don't tell him. I want to surprise him. He hates me right now. This will definitely get me back on his good side."

"OK, I won't say anything." She smiles. "You guys. This makes me so happy." She swipes at a tear that rolls down her cheek and I blow her a kiss.

"Me too sweetie. We will be there a little later, but again, please don't tell Zack."

"OK mom, I promise, I won't. See you guys later."

Mercy ends the call and then places her phone on the conference table. I quickly glance down and see that it is a quarter to five. She turns and backs me up to the chair and re-straddles my lap. "I think we were here."

I place my hands back on her ass and squeeze. "No, we were here." I nuzzle my mouth against her neck and suck at her skin as her hands find their way back into my hair. She moans and it causes me to grind up against her. She counters my movement and my head starts to swim. I instinctively stand up, walk over to the table and sit her on the edge. "Mercy, you know I don't want our first time to be on this table, but I cannot take it anymore. I need to be inside you baby. I promise I will make it up to you. I promise, just please say yes."

"Condom?"

"Fuck." Fuck my luck. "No, but I can go get some."

"The mood will be gone, besides your ex-wifey will be here soon."

"I can get you back in the mood baby."

"No." She shakes her head. "No, we should talk about what we are going to say to her."

I feign a few sobs and pout. "Fine." I kiss the tip of her nose. "But I'm buying condoms tonight."

She noisily kisses my pout away as she slides off the table. "OK." She winks and then takes a seat. I sit next to her as we begin to plan our confrontation with Marley.

* * *

We agreed on what needed to be said to Marley while dining on our favorite entrées from Pandillo's. I had completely forgotten that I had ordered dinner for us. Once we finished our meal, I took her things to my truck while she made a quick phone call to her bosses to give them the good news. Just as she is ending her call, I get a text from Marley.

_**Im here at the lounge. See you when you get here**_

"She's here." I stand and walk over to the door.

She follows close behind and stops me from opening it. "Stick with the plan Sam."

"I'll try but I cannot be held accountable for my actions if she says something cross about you." She narrows her eyes at me. "OK, I'll stick with the plan." She leans up, quickly kisses my lips, and then releases the door. As I exit, she swats my ass. I glance back and smile.

I enter the lounge and see her seated at the bar. "Marley." I greet her as I walk past her to take the stool to her left. This will result in her back facing the door, so she will not notice when Mercy enters.

"Hi Sam. Thanks for finally agreeing to meet me for a drink." I make eye contact with her and immediately see that she is wearing entirely too much make up.

"Sure." The bartender appears and I order a scotch. I turn to her. "Do you want another?"

"Vodka tonic. And yes. Thank you." I nod at the bartender who scurries away to make our drinks. She giggles. "It will actually be my third one. I've been here since 5:30." I turn my head in her direction again to get the niceties out of the way, but she interrupts me. "Can I ask what changed your mind?" She smiles and I nod at her.

"Zack."

"How? I mean what did he do that changed your mind?" She lowers her head and I take a chance to look at the door just as Mercy enters.

I quickly glance back at the bar counter, tap my fingers lightly against the wood and clear my throat. "I know he needs a family. The one I was working on creating for him didn't pan out."

"Really, what happened?" I look up at her to see the hint of a smile on her lips as she lowers her head again. "If you don't mind me asking."

I rest my forearms on the bar as our drinks are delivered. "It's no secret. It didn't work out with the woman I was seeing. She just stopped talking to me and taking my calls. She won't even open the door when I go to her house." I take a couple of sips from my glass.

She leans forward against the counter and tries her best to look concerned. "Well that's strange. Do you think she was seeing someone else?"

I eye her and then shrug my shoulders. "I don't know, maybe." I notice as Mercy takes a seat two stools down from Marley. Mercy keeps her head down. I take another sip from my glass.

"You're talking about this Mercedes woman, right?"

I raise an eyebrow in her direction. "How did you know her name?"

"Zack mentioned her to me once. He seemed upset that you were spending so much time with her. Isn't that why he is staying with me?" She takes several small sips from her glass.

I bite my tongue before answering. "No, I didn't know he felt that way. He didn't tell me that. He told me he was going to stay with you for a while to give me a break."

"Oh Sam. I think that was his way of not hurting your feelings." She chuckles.

I quickly count to ten. "I guess."

"Look I have to be honest with you about something. How well do you know this woman?" She swivels her stool toward me.

"I thought pretty well. Why?" _Oh, this is going to be good._

"Well, as a responsible parent, when Zack told me her name, I looked into her. From what I found, it looks like she may still be involved with her ex-husband, possibly in some type of relationship with him and his new husband. Did you know she was married before?"

I lightly cough to cover the laugh that was trying to escape. "Yes, I knew that."

"Oh, OK. Maybe I'm wrong about that then. But she does work for my stepfather, Len. Did you know that?"

_OK, I'll bite this time._ I clear my throat. "No."

"She does, and has for a few years. You know he and I don't communicate much but mom told me that he thinks that she has some type of substance abuse problem. Shows up to meetings under the influence of something."

"Really?" I'm speechless. There is something seriously wrong with her.

Her eyes brighten. "Yes. She also seems to be a bit on the loose side. Mom says that she has been caught more than once having sex with different maintenance men. The last time that happened was just last week, Thursday I think."

I've bitten my tongue so hard that I'm sure there is blood, but I will continue to play her game. "Why hasn't he fired her?"

"Probably because he can't. You know, that affirmative action crap."

"Wow." _And to top it off, she's racist?_

She downs the rest of her drink. "Yeah, so you probably dodged a bullet on that one. Besides, I never took you for someone who would be interested in a black woman, let alone someone like her."

"What do you mean someone like her?" _Is this what I have been waiting for?_

"You know, heavier."

_And there it is_. Internally, I smile. "Wait a minute. Do you know her?"

"No." She seems to suddenly realize her mistake as her eyes begin to dull and a small frown develops at her lips.

"So, when did you see her? How do you know what she looks like?" I wink at Mercy. She stands and walks over to join us.

"Um….Um…"

"Could it have been when you threatened her and her family last week at Pandillo's?"

"How did you-?" Marley's words are cut short when she sees Mercy.

"Hi beautiful." I wrap an arm around her waist as she reaches me.

"Hey baby." Mercy kisses me softly on the lips and then turns to face her.

An enraged look takes over Marley's face. "You tricked me."

"No Marley, you tricked yourself. Now, let me properly introduce you two. Marley Rose this is Mercedes Jones, the woman who has my heart, mind, body and soul. Mercy, baby, this is my EX-wife Marley Rose."

Mercy gives her a dry greeting. "Marley." Marley swivels back toward the bar and trains her eyes on her now empty glass.

"So here is what is going to happen. You are going to cease all threats, innuendos and text messages to Mercy starting right now. To be clear again, I DO NOT WANT YOU. We are not going to be together EVER again. Whatever your little plan was here did not work, and it will not work." Marley's eyes stay on her glass. "If you do not abide by what I am telling you, spousal support will be over. From what I have learned, you need it, and it is at my discretion if you remember correctly. Oh, and just to make sure you know we are serious, we are filing a formal complaint with the sheriff's office tomorrow. Now, do we understand each other?" She responds with a curt, angry nod.

"Good. Now, me and my baby have an appointment. Take care."

I grab Mercy's hand and move to leave but she tugs my arm, then leans over to get in Marley's face. "You basic, pitiful, desperate bitch. If you ever come for me and mine again, I will bust your simple, pathetic, sorry ass. Just try me. Oh, and stepdaddy said he hopes that you keep your job in the cafeteria. Seems he is as tired of hearing about your can't-keep-a-job ass as the rest of us." She leans back and turns to follow me out of the lounge but stops again and smiles. "Oh, and Marley. Thank you."

Confusion spreads across Marley's face. "What for?"

"For not taking Zack to band camp. I never would have met Sam if you had been there. So, I have to thank you for allowing this man to walk into my life and sweep me off my feet." She squeezes my hand as she studies Marley's face for a few seconds, then points an index finger at her. "And that look on your face right there is all the revenge I need. Me just knowing that you are going to hate yourself for the decision you made to do what you did instead of being there for your son. Was it really worth it?" Mercy shakes her head, squeezes my hand and we leave Marley sitting there at the bar on the verge of tears.

* * *

Settled in my truck, we make our way to Mercy's house. "Baby, that was so fucking hot!"

"You're silly."

"I'm serious. My lady got all gangsta. It gave me a semi."

"Really?"

"Yep." I pull her hand over and place it on my crotch. "See?"

"You're just horny."

"That I am, but my erection died when I laid eyes on Marley. Then you got in her face and this is where I am now."

"Well you need to calm him down because we will be at my house to get Ally soon. She doesn't want to see all that." She giggles.

"Speaking of Ally, did you know that she and I met up on Monday to talk."

"No, I didn't. What did you talk about?"

"She was filling me in on how you were doing. We had a beautiful talk. We both even shed some tears."

"Babe, I'm sorry. I never meant to make you cry."

"I know baby. But the tears that day were not just because of what was going on with us. She told me that she considers me her stepdad."

"Aw, Sam. Now you are going to make me cry."

"I adore her Mercy and aside from worrying about you, I was worried about her and needed to assure her that I wasn't giving up."

"I'm sorry Sam."

"Sssh. No more of that, we've talked about it. We're good, but if anything like this ever happens again, don't shut me out Mercy. Always come to me beautiful. Please."

"I will."

"Promise me."

"I promise. I adore Zack too you know."

"I know. I can't wait until he sees you tonight."

"I can't wait to see him."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. After we get Ally, we are going to the mansion. That's where Zack is."

"OK."

"Where are we sleeping tonight?"

"Come again?"

"Oh you will, and again and again. But seriously, I just got you back. There is no way I am spending the night away from you or Ally. So where? Your place or mine?"

"Can Tony take Ally to school in the morning?"

"Sure."

"Then I guess yours. We will stay at mine tomorrow because you and Ally still owe me and Zack a chicken and dumpling dinner."

"You're right we do. Our bet still in place?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"So, what are we going to tell the kids? I mean, I'm sure they will have questions and want to know what happened."

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"As much as I don't like the idea of keeping things from them, telling this to Zack may do harm to his relationship with his mother. I don't want that." Her words surprise me but then don't. This is just how she is.

"I know. I don't either."

"How about we just tell them that I misunderstood something I was told."

"Zack will want to know what you were told to see how you misunderstood it."

"OK. Maybe we tell them what happened and just omit that it was Marley. Just tell them that it was an old girlfriend. It can be one that you dated after you became CEO."

"Do you think that will work?"

"I think it is our best option. Doing it this way will keep lying to them to a minimum."

"OK, that's what we'll do."

I pull up to the curb in front of her house. We exit the truck just as the front door swings open. Ally darts out with a hand over her mouth. She kisses her mom on the cheek and then flings her arms around me. I lift her off the ground and swing her around a few times until she giggles. Once I place her feet back on the ground, she grabs my hand, then her mom's and we walk into the house.

"We are staying at Sam's tonight, so I need you to pack up your stuff."

"OK." She takes off up the stairs.

"Should we tell her that we are going to the mansion and not the apartment?"

"I'll tell her before we leave."

"OK, I'm going to go pack a bag. Be right back." She hurries up the stairs as I text my parents to share my good news. Mom, of course, wants the full story and I tell her that I will fill her in later.

Finished with messages to my mom, I look over at the small table next to the door and see the envelope she sent to me last week. I turn as I hear and then see her walking back down the steps. I hold the envelope up and wave it at her. "Did you think this was going to work?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Honestly, no, but I had to try."

I open the envelope, take out the key and hand it to her. "Here, put it back on your key ring."

"You're going to keep the apartment?"

"For now, yes. Besides, it still needs to be christened."

She nods and grins. "Then we've definitely got a lot of christening to do."

"Which reminds me, I need to make a stop at O'Hare's before we go to the mansion."

She leans over to give me a quick peck, but I pull her fully into my arms and hungrily kiss her. She moans and it makes me wish I had stopped at O'Hares on the way here. I start to back her up against the wall but am interrupted by Ally coming back down the steps. I draw away from her and turn my head to see Ally grinning at us.

"So, is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of the night?" She has two bags slung over her shoulder.

"Aw come on sweetie, give me a break. I have some time to make up for." She laughs as I remove the bags from her shoulder and place them near the door. I take Mercy's hand and gesture for her to follow us. "Come sit down for a minute. There is something I need to share with you before we leave."

"OK." She sits on the couch and I take a seat right next to her. Mercy sits on the arm of the couch right next to me.

I shift my body so that I am facing Ally. "There is something about me that you don't know. I just shared it with your mother earlier and I want to share it with you as well." She nods and I continue. "I kept a certain part of myself from you guys." I look at her and see that I have her undivided attention. "I'm actually quite wealthy."

"You're joking right?" She chuckles a bit but then stops when she notices that neither of us are laughing with her. Her smile fades and her eyes scan mine. "Right?"

"No, sweetie, I'm not. My family owns E&E distillery. I took over as the head of that company two years ago."

"O-K." She says it slowly as her head turns away from me. When she faces me again, her face is full of concern. "Why did you keep that from us?"

I exhale. "I wanted to be sure that I wasn't going to be taken advantage of."

"So, you thought my mom was a gold-digger." She crosses her arms.

"In a way, yes." Her eyebrows raise causing me to hesitate. "But I treat every woman I meet as if she is because of my past experiences."

She cocks her head to the side and thinks for a moment. "But you realize she is not now?"

I smile as it seems her concern is fading. "I realized she wasn't a long time ago. I was just scared to come clean because I was afraid that she would be upset with me for not telling her in the beginning."

Her head bobs lightly from side to side before she speaks. "I guess I get it, I just wish that you would have told us the truth in the beginning."

I smile weakly as I try to cover the sting from her statement. Not because it wasn't true, but because she realizes, no matter how I tried to sugarcoat it, that I lied to them. "I know, and I cannot change the past but what I can do is vow to be completely honest from this point on. Please tell me that you forgive me Ally."

"Of course I forgive you Sam." She gives me her best smile.

I return it and breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Now, I am going to take you and your mom to my house for the night." I stand, offer her one hand and Mercy the other as I pull them both up from their seated positions.

Ally looks up at me. "You have a house?"

I nod. "It's more like an estate. There is an indoor and an outdoor pool and basketball and tennis courts. In the basement, we have a movie theater and a gym."

Her eyes brighten. "No way." She releases my hand and darts to the door, leaving me and Mercy standing there. A couple of seconds later, she pokes her head around the corner with a big smile. "Well, why are you just standing there, let's go!" That produces laughs from me and Mercy. I tug her hand and we exit the house to make our way to meet up with Zack.

* * *

After a quick stop at O'Hares, we enter the house and I yell out for Zack. "Zack, can you come down for a second son?"

"Coming." His voice is a little gruff and angry. That probably has to do with the fact that I told him I needed him home tonight, no exceptions. I'm not sure what I would have said to him if Mercy hadn't come back with me. I close the door behind them as Ally and Mercy look around in awe. Ally's face is priceless. Zack appears at the top of the stairs. "What is-" His question is silenced when he sees them standing there. The smile that breaks out across his face has my heart pounding. "Oh my god, Cedes! Ally!" He rushes down the stairs and throws his arms around Mercy first. She drops her purse and hugs him just as hard. I wrap an arm around Ally's shoulder as we watch them. After a few moments, he clears his throat and then rests his head on her shoulder as the emotion spills into his words. "I've missed you so much." Mercy places a kiss on his temple and rubs circles on his back to calm him as Ally sniffles, then leans the side of her head against my chest and tightens her hold around me. After a few more moments, they release each other and he looks over at Ally. "Hey Ally-oop." His watery eyes glance over at her as he smiles. Ally releases me when he walks toward her and pulls her into a hug. I walk over and join Mercy as we allow them their moment. A few long moments later, the hug breaks apart and then they both wipe their eyes with the backs of their hands. "I'm so happy you guys are finally here. Come on Ally, let me show you my Superman collection."

I stop them before they take off. "Hold on. Have you two eaten?"

They answer in unison. "Yes."

"How about some ice cream?" They both nod. "OK. I want us to sit down for a bit and talk. You've got one hour. Don't get lost!"

"OK." They both yell in unison again, as Ally runs behind Zack toward the basement.

"Come here you. I want to show you around." I take her hand.

"Sam, this place is huge! Why do you need such a big house?"

"It's not that I need it. It's just been handed down from generation to generation. When my uncle retired from the company two years ago, he and my aunt moved out and gave it to me. My partner and cousin, their son, Jonathan didn't want it. But I never use the east wing of the house, so I turned it into living quarters for all of the staff. The west wing has eight bedrooms and ten bathrooms. There is a formal dining room down the hall and a game room in the basement complete with a theater, gym and a bar. Come on, I'll show you." I lead her further into the foyer. "So here on the first floor, we have a sitting room, the eat-in kitchen, a couple of bathrooms, the dining room, a library and my office. There is an outdoor pool, tennis and basketball courts out back." I gesture to the doors on our right. "These doors here lead out to the deck. For the rest of the first floor, further down this hall is a huge locker-room style changing room and the indoor pool." I turn her and we walk up the steps. "Now here on the second floor, are the bedrooms each with their own attached bathroom. This bedroom here is Zack's and mine is at the end of the hall there on the right." I tug her hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

She enters my bedroom and turns when she reaches the foot of my bed. "What did you want to show me?"

I grin. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to get you alone in my bedroom."

She kicks off her heels and walks slowly toward me with her hands on her hips. "Oh, yeah? And what are you going to do with me now that you have me here?"

"Don't tempt me woman." I wrap my arms around her waist and place several pecks on her lips.

She pouts. "You're no fun."

"Who me? I'm loads of fun." I smile widely at her.

She narrows her eyes and smirks. "Sure you are."

I lower my hands and palm her ass. I kiss her lips and then the tip of her nose. "What are your plans for the weekend?"

"I don't have any. Why? What do you have in mind?" Her hands trail up and down my biceps.

"Well, Zack will be staying with his mother. Will you have Ally?"

She stills and smiles. "No. She will be going camping with her Dad and a couple of her cousins."

"So, what do you say about you and I having a sleepover here this weekend? You know, to get started on that christening."

"I say yes." She licks her lips.

"Good. And Ms. Jones, just so we are clear." I raise an eyebrow at her. "That promise I made to you while we were in Florida? Be prepared." I tap her nose with my index finger.

She scrunches her nose up at me and I plant a kiss on her lips. My phone chimes and breaks the kiss. I remove one arm from around her, retrieve my phone from my pocket and look down to see a message from an 'Unknown Caller' with the date July 2. I forgot all about this craziness. And another date that means absolutely nothing to me. I don't have time to deal with this right now. I slide my phone back into my pocket as I remove my arm from her waist and take her hand, leading her back downstairs for ice cream with the kids.

* * *

Mercy is seated at the table while I get bowls and spoons for the ice cream. I hear the sound of the kids running up the stairs. "I'm sitting by Cedes." Zack plops down in the chair next to Mercy.

Ally rolls her eyes and takes a seat on the other side of her mother. "OK, calm down weirdo." I place everything on the table and then take the seat next to Ally.

"Whatever." Zack scoops ice cream into his bowl and then slides the carton over to Mercy.

He spoons some of the dessert into his mouth. "So now that you're back, are you going to tell us what happened?"

Mercy's eyes dart over to me and I nod. She looks down at her bowl as she loads her spoon. "Well, someone approached me last week and made some threats against me, Ally, my parents, my brother, Spencer and Alistair. She told me that if I didn't stop seeing Sam, that she would hurt us." She brings the spoon to her mouth and looks over at Zack. "So, I did what I had to do to keep us safe."

Ally chimes in. "So that's why you were so clingy?"

Mercy looks over at her and nods. "Yes. I had to keep my eye on you to make sure you stayed safe."

Zack looks at me and I immediately see and feel his anger. "Who was it?"

Mercy places a calming hand on Zack's arm. "It was just one of Sam's ex-girlfriends." She continues to stroke his arm until his eyes leave mine to look at her. He nods and she smiles. "I'm so sorry for the stress and pain I caused this past week." She looks over at Ally and then back at Zack.

"Is she in jail now?" Zack's eyes find mine again.

Suddenly with a dry mouth, I hesitate. Mercy comes to the rescue yet again. "Well, no."

"So how do we know she won't do what she said?" Ally voices her concern this time and looks over at me.

Her eyes are nowhere near as angry as Zack's. I clear my throat. "We confronted her tonight before picking you up. She was under the impression that I wanted to be with her again and that Mercy was in the way of that. I made it clear to her that I am not interested in her." Ally nods seemingly satisfied with my response, so I continue. "We are also filing a formal complaint with the police tomorrow."

"We? Was she threatening you too dad?" His eyes aren't as angry as they were a minute ago.

"No. Sorry. I just meant that I am going with Mercy when she files tomorrow."

He looks down at his bowl and gets another spoonful of ice cream. "Oh, OK."

We enjoy our dessert in near silence for several minutes. The only sound that can be heard is that of the spoons clinking against our bowls. Hating the silence as usual, I look for a safer subject to discuss. When I can come up with nothing interesting, I go with the safest. "So how is school going you two?"

Zack's answer is quick and short. "Fine."

Mercy and I turn to see Ally staring strangely at Zack, almost as if she is daydreaming. I place my hand on her forearm. "Ally?"

"Huh?" She looks over at me with confusion.

Mercy places a hand on her back. "You OK honey? Sam asked how school was going."

Ally looks over at Mercy and nods. "Oh, it's fine. Sorry but when you mentioned school, I immediately started worrying that I forgot something at the house that I will need for tomorrow." Ally looks at me and smiles. "Sorry." I nod.

Mercy softly taps her back. "Well once you finish with your ice cream, you can check and see if you forgotten anything."

"OK, great. But yeah, school is good. I really like it there. I love being in the marching band. It's fun!" A smile brightens her face.

Zack grins. "Yeah, I like it too. We have our first home game Friday."

"Ours is too." She eyes Zack again.

Mercy shakes her head and holds up her hands. "Alright, here is what we will do. Sam will go to Zack's game, I will go to Ally's and then the next week, we will switch. I'll go to Zack's and Sam will go to Ally's. How does that sound?" She already knew this was going to happen. Ally and Zack stay engaged in a stare-down with each other for about a minute.

I offer the other option. "Come on guys, we can't be at two places at one time. It's either this or we both go to one of your games one week and to the other game the next." I look at Zack and then at Ally.

Zack finally gives his opinion. "I guess one of you at each game is the better choice."

Ally nods. "Yeah, me too."

"Good. Now that that is settled, you two need to be getting ready for bed." I stand, pick up the bowls and spoons and place them in the sink. I turn in time to see them each give Mercy a hug good night. Then Ally approaches me.

"Night Sam." She hugs me around my waist and places her head against my chest.

I smile and rest my head on top of hers. "Night sweetheart." I release her and Zack takes her place. "Night son."

"Night dad. Love you."

"Love you too." I kiss the top of his head.

* * *

Inside my bedroom, I have her trapped against the door. My lips are buried in the crook of her neck as her hands play in my hair. I move my hands down and slide them between her and the door to pull her closer to me. I feel a slight scratch against my scalp, and it causes me to suck harder. She moans and I wrap my arms tight around her waist and lift her. She wraps her legs around me and I back up toward the bed. I turn to lie her down when I hear a knock on the door. We still and then she slides down my front. We adjust our clothes and then she sits as I go to the door to open it.

Ally is there on the other side. "Is everything OK sweetie?"

"Can I talk to you and mom for a minute?"

"Of course." I take her hand and walk her over to sit next to Mercy. I then return to the door and close it.

She looks over at me and then at her mother. "There is this woman that works in the cafeteria that is always staring at me. I thought I was imagining it or that we just always happened to make eye contact. Ashley and Sarah call her my little stalker. We always just laughed it off. But there is something familiar about her and I didn't realize it until tonight. Zack has her eyes. Is she the one who threatened you? Is that why she is always staring at me?" _Oh no. No_.

Mercy eyes me and then takes Ally's hand. "Ally, sweetie, yes, but please, we didn't want to say, for Zack's sake."

"Who is she?" She looks at Mercy then at me.

"She's my ex-wife. Zack's mother." I walk to sit on the other side of her.

Ally shoulders begin to shake and that's when I notice she is crying. Her words are whispered. "You have to tell him."

"Honey, it's complicated." Mercy releases her hand and puts her arm around Ally's shoulder.

"It doesn't have to be." She wipes her eyes. "Mom, I cannot keep this from him. It's not fair. He should know."

I take Ally's hand. "He should. And I will tell him. I'm just worried about destroying the relationship that he has with his mom. That's why we didn't want either of you to know. Him because of what it may do to their relationship and you because you shouldn't have the burden of knowing something like this that he doesn't."

Mercy shakes her head. "Ally try to put yourself in Zack's shoes for a minute. How would you feel if you found out that I was threatening Alistair to make him stay away from your dad?"

"I would be crushed, and also upset with you."

"Exactly. So that is why we are trying to keep that information from him. This may cause the kind of pain that can never be healed."

"But he should know mom."

Mercy looks over at me. "Sam, maybe you should let your ex be the one to tell him. Just hear me out. Give her the chance to be the one to tell him of her actions first, it she doesn't, then you should."

"What if she doesn't tell him the truth?" Ally's eyes train on me as well.

With her eyes still on me, Mercy gestures with her head. "Then you tell him. Just give her the chance first. Contact her and tell her that she needs to tell him. Tell her that you are giving her the opportunity to do it first, or you will."

I swallow the lump in my throat and nod solemnly. "He will be with her this weekend, so she will have to tell him then."

Mercy directs her attention to Ally again. "And if she doesn't, Sam will. And if he needs me to be there with him, I will be." She leans over slightly and places her hand on top of me and Ally's attached hands.

"OK." Ally sniffles and nods her head.

We all stand, and Mercy turns Ally toward her. "Sweetie, I'm not sure how he will react when he finds out. I just want you to be prepared."

Ally nods again. "Zack is my brother. I will be there for him." She hugs Mercy and then me. "I'm going to get to bed." She walks to the door and then turns her head in our direction. "Night mom. Night Sam."

"Night honey."

Once Ally has left the room. I sit on the bed with my head in my hands. This is going to turn Zack's world upside down. I worry about how he will handle this news. It's a little-known fact, but he truly is a momma's boy. My mind stays on Zack so much so that I don't hear her talking to me. When I guess she senses that I am not listening to her, I feel her sit next to me. "Baby, what's wrong?"

I exhale, sit up and shake my head. "This is going to completely tear him up Mercy. He loves and adores his mom." I throw my head back and forcefully blow out a breath. "I wish I could bear the pain he is about the go through. I wish there was a way he would never have to know." I feel her hand grabbing at mine, and I dart off the bed. "We never should have told them. That was a mistake." I keep my back to her.

"You agreed with me when I suggested it."

"Yes, I know, but that is because I thought it was the best option. I'm re-thinking that now." Anger is boiling up inside me. Why did I listen to her? We could have made up any number of stories.

"OK, so what is the best option?"

Keeping my back to her, I clench my teeth. "Not telling them."

I hear what sounds like a dry chuckle. "Well, it's too late for that."

"Obviously." My voice is low and hushed.

"You know, the sarcastic comments really aren't necessary. I'm just trying to help. What should we do?" I feel her at my side.

I keep my eyes down and away from her. "I think you've done enough. He's my son, I will handle it myself."

There is a space of silence that seems to go on forever. From the corner of my eye, I see her defensively cross her arms. "I'm fully aware of that and was only trying to offer my support. You obviously don't want or need it, so I will just stop talking."

I shake my head and walk toward the door. "Look, I'm getting tired. Let's just go to bed. You can use my shower. I'll use the one next door."

"OK."

* * *

I stand under the spraying water as I try to figure a way to ease the upcoming pain for Zack. Above everyone else, he is my everything. He always will be. I wish for a way to not have to tell him. He lost the only family he ever knew too soon. I cannot take his mother from him too because I know once he knows this, he will be inconsolable. He will lash out and he will hate me for sure. This will be all my fault. As the water washes away the tears that had rolled down my face, I sigh deeply and just resign myself to figure it out in the morning. After a few more minutes, I turn off the shower and ready myself for bed.

I enter the bedroom to find Mercy in the recliner on the far side of the bed with an expectant look on her face. I feel like an absolute asshole for the way I talked to her before my shower. Truth is, I did agree to tell the kids all the details and just omit Marley's name but once Ally made the connection, I panicked and definitely overreacted. I stare at her for a moment and then go over to the bed. I know that I need to apologize but my pride won't let me and the look on her face isn't helping either. I pull the covers back and climb in, lying on my side and facing away from her. "Night."

After a long pause, I feel her settle into bed next to me. "Night."


	17. Those Jaw-Dropping Joneses

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Thursday September 17th

**SAM POV**

Beating the alarm, I wake up and immediately turn over, my arms outstretched to pull her close to me, but she is not there. I am met with just cold, empty sheets. I turn back over and glance over at the chaise lounge chair. That is where her overnight bag was sitting last night, but it's gone, she's gone. I check the time and then grab my phone from the nightstand. She answers on the third ring.

"Oh, so you're talking to me now?" Her voice is hushed and somewhat angry.

Even though I know she cannot see me, I nod in concession. "OK, I deserved that. I'm sorry for my behavior last night. I won't even attempt to justify it. I apologize."

She responds in a monotone, unconvinced manner. "OK."

Taken aback by her tone and unsure of what to say next, I just mimic her tone. "OK." I clear my throat. "Where are you?"

"I'm home."

"How did you get there?"

"I caught a ride with Tony to Donaldson and then got a cab to my house."

I shake my head in disbelief. "Why didn't you just have Tony take you to your house?"

"I didn't know if that was allowed. It's not a big deal, I made it here just fine."

I feel my anger rising, so I take a deep breath. "Or better yet, you could have woken me up, I would have taken you home."

"You weren't talking to me."

I exhale gruffly. "Mercy you don't know how foolish I feel about that."

"Like I said it's OK."

_OK? OK! I'm starting to hate that word._ I take another breath. "What are you doing now?"

"Getting dressed to go into the office for a bit."

"I thought Rose told you to take the rest of the week off?"

"He did."

"Then why are you going to work?"

"I need to meet with a couple of the other managers to go over the clients that I am handing off to them."

"That can wait until Monday, can't it?"

"Probably."

"Then why are you doing it today?"

"Nothing else to do."

"You could spend the day with me."

"That was the original plan when you were talking to me. But you stopped. Why would I want to spend the day with someone who isn't talking to me?"

"Mercy."

"No Sam. It's cool."

"It's not. I acted like an ass last night. I'm sorry. Very sorry."

"OK."

"No not OK. I'll say it again, there is no excuse for my behavior."

"OK."

'Please stop saying that."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Please talk to me and tell me what you are thinking."

"That's what started this. Me giving you an opinion, so I will be keeping those to myself."

"I don't want you to do that. I value your opinion."

"Today. I think you meant to say that you value my opinion today. But the day just started so we will have to see if that changes." She pauses and I hear her exhale. "Look, I'm still upset about it, so just let me get through the day and we can talk about it later."

"Fair enough." My heart is heavy, but I resign myself to just give her some time. "I'm sorry again."

"OK. I forgive you again."

"We will be there as soon as Zack is home from school."

"Sure, whatever works for you."

"Will you be back home by then?"

"I should be, but if not, I can leave the key under the planter on the deck if that's OK."

"Sure, what time will you be leaving?"

"Probably in an hour or so."

"OK beautiful. I'll let you go, and we will see you in a few hours."

"See you then."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I place the phone back on the nightstand, lie back on my pillow and stare up at the ceiling. We shouldn't be apart. We just reconciled. I need to make this right. My mind replays all the events of yesterday for some indication as to why I turned so quickly on her last night. Did she do or say something? She didn't. Everything was great until Ally told us about Marley. I was scared, but scared of what exactly? Of course I will always worry about Zack and try to keep him from being harmed in any way, however, the hurt he is about to experience is due to his mother. Not Mercy and not Ally. So why did I turn on Mercy so quickly? I lie there for another fifteen minutes and then it hits me. I am up in a flash and pulling on some clothes. I need to stop her before she goes into work.

* * *

I see her car in the driveway as I park next to the curb and hurry out of my truck. As I reach the walkway, the front door opens, and I see her exiting the house. Her back is to me as she locks the door. When she turns, her eyes meet mine as I stare at her from the foot of the porch steps.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize."

She adjusts the bags on her shoulder, moves forward and takes one step down. "You've already done that." She takes another step.

"I wanted to look you in your eyes and do it. I need you to know without a doubt that I am sorry for acting the way I did last night."

She glances at me, eyes unconvinced. "OK. I believe you." She takes another step down.

"Mercy please."

She quickly places her hands on her hips. "Please what Sam? I've told you I forgive you. I've told you I believe you. What else do you want from me?" She throws her hands in the air.

"I want you to look at me."

She shakes her head and exhales angrily. "Look, I don't have time for this. I need to leave." She moves to take the last step down, but I block her path.

"No, I need you to hear me out. I'M SORRY. My entire existence has always been for my son. I've never been confused like this before because I've never loved anyone as fiercely as I love my son. I felt guilty because I felt like I was betraying him by allowing myself to love you as much as I love him." I hear her sharply inhale. Her eyes lock with mine and I see the tears slowly pooling in them. I smile softly and continue. "As I sat there on the bed after Ally left my room last night, that is what was going through my mind. Why did I agree to break his heart that way? My mind told me that my feelings for you were clouding my judgement, so that's when I told myself I needed to distance myself from you. And that's why I lashed out at you Mercy, but I swear to you, I didn't mean it. Zack will always be my first love, however, the love I have for him, as strong as it is, doesn't compare to the love I have for you."

"Sam…" A single tear rolls down her cheek. I grab her hand.

"No, let me finish. I love you Mercedes Jones and I have loved you for as long as I've known you. I started falling in love with you that first night when we danced in my hotel room. You mean everything to me. When I woke up this morning and you were not there, I can't even explain the emptiness I felt, the emptiness I still feel because you are upset with me. And if you still need to be away from me for a while today, I'll understand and carry this emptiness around with me for a little longer, but it will not change how much I love you."

She slides her hand from mine and swipes the tears from her face. "Are you done?" She clears her throat and crosses her arms.

I nod, completely unsure of what she is about to say. "Yes."

"Sam, I knew what was going on last night. I knew you were lashing out at me because you were torn between your love for Zack and your feelings for me. And I get it. It's new territory for you. I never want you to feel like you are choosing me over Zack. He always comes first, and he should. You just have to understand that I am always in your corner babe. Always. I will never, ever do anything to intentionally hurt any of us, especially the kids. I had hope that neither of them would have been impacted by what Marley did to me, but Ally already has, and Zack will be. And his hurt will outweigh even the hurt I felt when she threatened my family." Lowering her arms, she reaches down and grabs both of my hands. "I just don't want you to think that I don't understand what this means for Zack. You just have to have faith that he will get through it, and he will, and we will all be there for him, because we love him." She locks her eyes on mine and smiles. "I love him. I love him as if he were my own. And the love that I have for him, as strong as it is, doesn't compare to my love for you Sam. I love you Sam Evans. So very much, and for just as long as you have loved me."

I gently remove my hands from hers and cradle her face as tears stream down mine. "Mercy, I am completely, totally and abso-fuckin-lutely in love with you." Her smile widens as tears stream down her face as well, and then I feel her lips on mine. I slide my hand behind her head and hold it while the other wraps low around her waist. Our heads angle and the kiss deepens when I feel her snake her tongue into my mouth. Her hands are wrapped high around my back. I feel them move up to my shoulders and then down to each bicep as she begins to suck lightly on the tip of my tongue. Our soft moans echo and then I feel her drawing our kiss to an end.

She softly bites down on her bottom lip. "Can you blow off work today?"

"For you? In a heartbeat."

"Good." She takes my hand and leads me up the steps. I intentionally crowd her as she works to unlock the door. I lift her hair and suck and lick on the back of her neck causing her to giggle. Then I lean in closer, wrapping my arms around her to cradle her breast in each of my hands. When she finally has the door open, she drops her keys, purse and bag inside the door and pulls me into the house. I allow the door to close behind us and then lean back against it as she walks forward a few steps. When she turns, she locks her phone, leans over and places it on the table next to the door. Then she smiles up to me as she walks backward toward the staircase. She kicks off her wedge sandals and then pulls her blouse over her head, dropping it at her feet as she reaches the foot of the stairs. Her lust-filled eyes study me as mine study hers, and then they lower to the lacy front of her black bra. "You coming?" She turns and slowly ascends the stairs, as I move a few steps forward until I am left at the foot of the stairs, with my mouth slack at the sight of her heavenly retreating form. When she reaches the top, she keeps her back to me as she shimmies out of her skirt, leaving it at her feet. Standing there clad in only her bra and a matching black thong, I swallow as my mouth begins to water. She looks over her right shoulder, locks eyes with me again, and grins. "Should I start without you?" This woman is literally making me drool. I keep my eyes trained on her, as I wipe the wetness from the left corner of my mouth with the side of my hand and lick my lips. I hear a soft grunt escape her as she turns and walks toward her bedroom. As she steps out of my view, I see her fling something over the staircase and follow the material until it is sprawled against the floor next to me. As my vision zeroes in on the item, I realize it is her bra. Hot damn! I hurry up the stairs, three at a time, stripping off my shirt in the process. When I reach the second floor, I notice her thong on the floor a few feet from her bedroom door. _Son of a bitch_. She is completely naked and waiting for me. I step into the doorway of her bedroom and see her laid across the bed on her side. I approach the bed as I unbuckle my belt. She sits up and swats my hands away. She unbuttons and then unzips my khakis, keeping her doe eyes trained on mine. She slides her hands underneath both sides of the waistband of my boxer briefs and pushes them and my pants down to the floor. I step out of the clothing at my feet as she wraps her right hand around my throbbing erection. She glides her hand up and down the length of my cock right before she snakes her tongue out to lick the tip. I groan at the contact. Her eyes remain locked on mine, as she pulls the tip into her mouth, lapping against the flesh with her tongue. My head falls back and my eyes close as the warmth of her mouth and her slow stroke of my shaft hypnotize me. "Sam?"

"Yes, Mercy?"

"I'm totally, completely and abso-fuckin-lutely in love with you too."

Her words ignite a fire inside of me as she continues to have her way with my cock. She removes it completely from her mouth to lick each of the flesh sacs beneath, as she continues to steadily stroke the length. I then feel her trail her tongue up the underside before pulling the tip back into her mouth. Her stroking quickens and I feel my knees buckle. "I need to taste you baby."

She shakes her head. "Nuh-uh. Me first." She removes her hands from my shaft and places them flat against my hips as she bobs on my cock. I feel the back of her throat as she picks up the pace. As my orgasm builds, I place my hands on both sides of her head. She pulls my entire length into her mouth, stills, and then releases a low hum. My hips jerk and my seed spurts violently down her throat.

"Fuck. Damn baby. Mmm…" I bend down and latch my lips onto hers before snaking my tongue into her mouth. When I feel my bearings return, I break our kiss and look at her. "My turn. Lay your beautiful sexy ass back." She quickly complies and I lean forward to hover over her latching my lips onto hers again. I use my knee to part her thighs and then position myself between them. "I'm going to lick, suck and savor every inch of you Mercy." I suck her bottom lip into my mouth and tug on it as I move down to her neck. I lick, suck and bite at the skin there before moving to just beneath her collarbone. I lick the length of it as my hands cradle her breasts. "Mmm. I've had dreams about these mountains of goodness." I lick one nipple as my fingers twist on the other. Her panting becomes more audible and I glance up and see her biting down on her lip. "Let me hear you baby. It's just us. I want to hear you scream for me." I suck the nipple into my mouth and suck feverishly as her body begins to writhe. I grind my cock against her as I continue to work her nipple in my mouth. My fingers pinch the other nipple and she cries out. "Yes baby, that's it." I release her nipple and lick at it before moving over to the other and repeating my actions. She moans loudly and it drives me to suck harder. "I'm going to make you cum just by doing this. Do you think I can?" She doesn't answer but I really didn't expect her to. I push both breasts together with my hands and pull both nipples into my mouth. I suck and suck and suck until I feel her body jerk and her legs wrap around my waist. She moans loudly and bucks her hips wildly against me as I slowly release her nipples from my mouth. I smile wickedly up at her as my mouth nuzzles against her chest. "That's one. Our magic number is fourteen." Darting my eyes down to her slowing hips, I glance up at her as she gives me a look of shock, or maybe it is fear. "I'm going to make you cum at least fourteen times before the weekend is over." I continue massaging and caressing her breasts as her breathing calms. I move up and kiss her quickly. "Now on to number two." I kiss her again and then trail my tongue down the center of her chest, stopping to lick, suck and kiss all over her belly. I dip my tongue into her navel and then continue down to her center. I spread her legs and hook my arms around her thighs, holding her in place, as I lick the length of her slit before attaching my lips to her clit. I suck feverishly again using just my mouth to build her next orgasm. Her hips buck against me but it doesn't deter me. Her breathing is raspy, and her moans get louder as the seconds pass. I remove my lips and flick my tongue against her clit as she screams out my name, and a few other colorful expletives, through her labored breathing. "That's two." I strum my fingers up and down her slit as I wait for her breathing to normalize again.

"Are you trying to kill me Sam?"

"No baby. I just need to get my fill of you. I've wanted you for weeks now. Fourteen to be exact. I'm just making up for lost time. Just a couple more and then I will let you rest. You're going to need all of your strength this weekend for our sleepover." I wink at her as I slide two fingers into her. I pump my fingers into her as I bring my lips back to her clit. She begins to grind against my mouth and hand.

"Ooh Sam. That feels so good baby."

"You like that Mercy? You like when I fuck you with my fingers?"

"Yes baby."

"You're so wet honey." I quicken my pumps and it causes her to grind harder against me.

"I'm cumming again Sam. Oh my god. Oh my gaaaaawwwwwd."

I remove my fingers and shove my tongue inside her to suck her juices. Her grinding slows as I lap her cream into my mouth. "That's three." I lick at her slit, then her clit and then trail my tongue back up the center of her body until I reach her lips. "I want to make love to you now baby." She plunges her tongue into my mouth and sucks eagerly. Once the kiss breaks, I instinctively raise up to get a condom, still, and then just laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"The condoms. They're at my house."

She chuckles. "Babe, I don't think laughter is the appropriate reaction right now."

"But Mercy, baby, I've got to laugh to keep from crying."

She reaches over, opens her nightstand drawer, grabs a condom and hands it over to me. "Don't judge me. I bought those the day after Labor Day. This is the first opportunity we've had to use them."

With a bobbing head and a huge lopsided smile on my face, I take it from her and tear it open with my teeth. "Just another reason I love you." I roll it on, align my cock against her and devour her mouth as I slide into her core. It's a tight fit at first and I feel her walls immediately clench around my cock causing a feral moan to escape from me. "Shit baby. You feel so fucking good." I remain still for a few moments to allow her body to adjust to my size and then I move slow and steady. "Mmm oh baby. Fuck." I kiss her lips as she mewls beneath me. As we meld into a slow rhythm, I rest my forehead against hers. "Look at me baby." Her eyes dart up and meet mine. "I want you to keep your eyes on mine. I want to see you." I circle my hips against her as I trail a hand down her body. My orgasm is steadily building but I want her to cum again before I do. I place the pad of my thumb against her clit and quickly rub it in a circular motion. "Cum for me again baby. I want to hear you." I feel her body jerk against mine and then her loud moans and squeals fill the air. "Yes baby. That's it. Cum for me." She shouts and I feel as her walls start clenching rapidly around me. I quickly withdraw and kiss her as her breathing calms. "That's four, but I'm not done with you yet." I lie next to her and then pull her over to straddle me. She lowers herself onto my waiting rock hard member, and once we find our rhythm, I lean forward and suck a nipple into my mouth. She throws her head back and I wrap an arm around her waist, pitching my hips into her center at a fevered pace. She places her hands on my shoulders and rests her head on top of mine as she continues to bounce up and down on me. When I feel I am about to explode, I flip us again so that I can draw one more orgasm from her. I circle my hips over and over making sure to hit her clit each time. When I feel her body react, I bury my cock to the hilt and continue to move against her until I feel her walls rapidly clenching around me again. "Oh fuck baby. Yes. Yeeeeessss!" I hiss as my body stutters and my seed spills into the condom. "And that's five." I rest my head against the crook of her neck as I feel her breath hot and heavy on my shoulder. She giggles and I look up at her. Her eyes are closed, and a look of utter contentment is displayed on her face. I study her for a few moments. As if she can feel my eyes on her, she opens hers and looks over at me with a grin.

"What?"

"You are just breathtaking baby. I love you Mercy."

"I love you too Sam."

I plant a soft kiss on her lips as I slide out of her.

* * *

The sixth for her and the third for me were taken care of in the shower. Once we were out, I set up a make-shift office in her kitchen and phoned Harriett to find out what my meeting schedule was for the day. Learning that I only have three meetings for the whole afternoon, I asked her to move them to tomorrow. I will definitely have to go into my office tomorrow. But for today, I am going to enjoy my alone time with Mercy. While I wait for Harriett to phone back, I try to entice her to go for another round.

I lift her onto the island and wrap her legs around my waist. "Sam, no. We just got out of the shower."

"So. We can take another one. Come on baby. I need you again." I lightly lick and suck on her neck.

She continues to try to wiggle free. "Sam, there is only one condom left. We use it now, then there's none for tonight."

I nip at her ear. "Nonsense. O'Hares is just around the corner. I can go get a box to keep here." I plant kisses down her jawline as my hands palm her ass.

"Impossible." I feel her relenting.

I squeeze her ass and suck her bottom lip into my mouth, releasing it with a pop. "I know." The doorbell sounds and I feel her freeze. I groan. I almost had her.

"Who could that be?" I feel her legs loosen from around my waist.

I release her ass and hold her legs in place. "Ignore it." I lick the edge of her exposed cleavage.

She shivers and then shakes her head. "I can't. My car is in the driveway."

I move to loosen the front tie of her wrap dress just as I hear my phone ring. It's Harriet. "Dammit." I release her and pick up my phone as she hops off the island. My eyes follow her out of the kitchen and then she turns right to go toward the front door. I hear her surprised voice ask her mother and father what they are doing here.

I grin to myself as I answer my phone. "Yes Harriett?"

"All of your afternoon meetings have been moved to tomorrow sir."

"Thanks Harriett. I'll check in with you a little later."

"Yes sir. Have a good day."

"You too."

I end the call and then exit the kitchen just as I hear Mercy's mother ask her if she was able to get a message to me. Never the shy one, I jump right into the conversation. "She did better than that. Sorry, hi, I'm Sam Evans and you must be Mercy's mother and father. It is a pleasure to meet you both." I extend my hand to her father first. He eyes me suspiciously as he takes my hand. Her mother's face looks like she is trying her hardest to contain her amusement. I take her hand and shake it gently.

Mercy lightly elbows my stomach as I wrap an arm around her shoulder. "Mom, Dad, this is Sam. Forgive him, he just can't help himself sometimes." She looks up at me and narrows her eyes. I wink and scrunch my nose up at her. "Sam these are my parents. My dad, Dr. Jeffrey Jones and my mom, Eliza."

I nod at her and turn my attention back to her parents with a smile. "Again, pleasure to finally meet you both. Will you be staying for dinner?"

Her mother's eyes dart from mine to Mercy's then back to mine again. "Wait – what? Do you live here now?"

"No, although I might as well. My son, his name is Zack by the way, anyway, he and I are here quite often." I glance down at my watch. "Actually, he and Ally should be here shortly. Can I get either of you something to drink in the meantime?"

"No, thank you."

"OK."

"Come on in mom and dad and make yourselves comfortable." She leads them into the living room. I follow behind them and watch as Mr. Jones sits on the couch and Mrs. Jones sits next to him. "Are you sure we can't get you something to drink?"

"On second thought, I'll have some tea if you have it."

"Any beer?"

"JJ! You are not starting that this early in the day."

"I'm sorry. What I meant to say is I'll have some tea as well." When Mercy turns to go into the kitchen, she is doing her best to hide her amusement. It's very easy to see who wears the pants in that relationship, and I know all too well that Mercy will wear the pants in ours. I grin and follow her to get their drinks.

I look over as she pours tea into a couple of glasses. "Hey where is everyone sleeping tonight? If you want to, we can go to the mansion. There are plenty of bedrooms there."

She shakes her head. "No, we will make do here. The sofa in the basement lets out, so you and Zack can sleep there."

"Um, no."

She looks over at me. "What do you mean um no?"

"I mean um no, I will be sleeping with you." I cross my arms and give her the most serious look I can at the moment.

She raises an eyebrow as she continues to look at me. "Says who?"

"Says me. It's part of our contract. See you love me, and I love you, so it is an unspoken rule that we have to sleep in the same bed." I emphasize my point by nodding my head once at her.

A small smile breaks out across her lips. "I'm not familiar with that particular clause."

"You should have read the fine print Jones. No backsies. You love me, so I get to sleep with you." I lean forward and kiss the tip of her nose.

She chuckles. "You are impossible but oh so cute."

I plant a soft kiss on her lips. "I know, I am aren't I? On both counts."

* * *

A couple of hours later, I am seated on the love seat with Mercy as I listen to her parents tell me some funny stories from her childhood. They both keep referring to her as 'May' so I make a mental note to ask about it later. When we get to a particularly embarrassing story, she tries to stop them from sharing, but Mrs. Jones is determined.

"Oh, hush up May. Let me finish the story. So, we are looking through a photo album one night a few days before May turned six. There is a three-year difference between her and her brother, and Man had just turned nine. We get to a picture that was taken well before May was born. Man was about three in the picture. So, Man asked where May was, and May, clear as day says, 'I was still swimming in daddy's balls stupid,' and then rolled her little eyes at him." Mrs. Jones roars with laughter, like it was something that just happened. Once she catches her breath, she continues. "Oh my gosh, we laughed so long about that one. I didn't know whether to be horrified that May knew, or that Man had to ask why she wasn't there." I notice Mr. Jones wiping the tears from his eyes with the palm of his hand.

Mercy has a somewhat stern look on her face, but I can see her ready to crack. "OK mom. I think that is enough stories for now."

I can't contain my laughter. "No, no. I want more." Mercy finally breaks and giggles when she tries to look over at me with narrowed eyes. She raises her hand to swat at me as I hear the sound of the front door opening, so I jump to safety just as Zack and Ally come into the living room.

"Grammy, Grampy, what are you doing here?" Ally wraps her arms around Mrs. Jones as Mr. Jones stands to get his hug. Once the hug breaks, Ally turns and looks at her grandmother.

She kisses Ally's cheek. "Just here to check on you and your mother. How are you sweetface?"

"I'm good Grammy." Ally gestures her head in his direction. "This is Zack."

Mrs. Jones shakes his hand. "Hello Zack, it's nice to meet you."

"And this is Grampy. Grampy this is Zack." Mr. Jones extends a hand to shake his and then takes his seat

"It's nice to meet you both." Zack smiles and then looks over at me, and then at Mercy.

"Hey kiddos. How was school?" Zack answers for the both of them as Ally and Mrs. Jones talk quietly.

Zack takes a seat next to Mercy. "Good. Are Dad and Ally still cooking tonight?"

She wraps her arm around his shoulder and pulls him close to her. "Yep. So we get to sit, relax and visit with my mom and dad."

"Cool. They should have to serve us too, you know."

"Too bad we didn't think of that when we bet them. We'll just remember for next time."

"What are you two cooking?" Mr. Jones looks at me.

"Chicken, dumplings and fresh green beans."

Ally turns her head toward Mr. Jones. "Yeah, and I am making a red velvet cake for dessert."

Mrs. Jones toys with Ally's ponytail. "Need any help?"

I smile and nod as I walk over to her, offering her my arm. Before she can take it, Mercy stops her. "No, they have to cook it on their own. It's part of our bet."

"What bet?"

"Sam challenged us to a dance battle on Ally's video game. He and Ally had to score more points than me and Zack, but they didn't, so they lost and have to cook a meal of our choosing."

Mr. Jones sucks his teeth from his spot on the couch. "Shoot, a dance battle. I would have taken all of you down. They don't call me Sweet Feet for nothing."

"JJ, no one calls you that." Mrs. Jones looks back at us and shakes her head. "Don't listen to him. He has one move and I'm sure it's not even on the game."

"Lizby, don't start now. You'll make me break my moves out on these young folks."

"Sure. And then we can all listen as you whine and complain all night that your back and knees are killing you. No thanks. You just stay right there." Mrs. Jones walks back over and sits down next to him.

"Actually Mom, I was going to ask if we could postpone cooking dinner tonight until maybe Sunday when I get back from Dad's. I still have homework to do and if I have to cook, I won't get to visit with Grammy and Grampy tonight."

"Yeah May. That sounds reasonable." Mrs. Jones glances down at her watch. "It's already nearly six."

Mercy nods in agreement. "OK, well, if we do that, then what does everyone want for dinner tonight?

I look over at her. "I could always put some chicken on the grill."

"Now that's what I am talking about son!" Mr. Jones smiles widely as he licks his lips.

"We just have boneless chicken breasts. Does that work?" Mercy glances up at me.

I nod. "Sure."

"OK, I can go to O'Hares and get some buns and some sides from the deli. Mom and I will do that. Zack and Ally, you two get started on your homework. Dad and Sam, you two should be able to fire up the grill. Should I get some other kind of meat?"

After Mercy gets her shopping list together, she and her mother leave to go to the market. Ally and Zack retreat to the basement to start on their homework and Mr. Jones and I head into the kitchen. "So, Sam let me get this out of the way, so that we can all enjoy the rest of the evening. May is my baby girl, she always will be, no matter how old she gets. Since she lives so far away from me and her mother, I have to rely on my sense of hearing. The tone of her voice and the inflection of her words help me to know how she is doing when she tries to deflect her true feelings. I know very little about what happened between you two this past week, but I heard in her voice that she was miserable. That is the main reason her mother and I are here now. However, I can see now that whatever it was, has passed, and I hope the happiness you two have found continues." He turns to open the refrigerator and takes out the pack of chicken. He places it on the island in front of me. "But make no mistake, if you break her heart, I break every bone in your body. I don't care how rich you are."

My jaw drops. "How did you know?"

"Eidetic memory. I saw a news article about you in Reuters about two years ago. You are the CEO of E&E. I believe it is two-years ago today to be exact."

"Wow."

"Yeah, it's rare but I am proof positive that it exists. Is your wealth the reason why you two had issues this past week?"

"It was partly to blame. I didn't disclose that to her when we met. I actually didn't tell her about it until yesterday."

"Bad move. May could careless how much you have."

"I know."

"Look, I don't need the particulars of what went wrong. I'm sure she shared them with her mother and since Liz didn't tear your head off when she laid eyes on you, I will assume that whatever it was doesn't warrant me getting too worked up about."

"Well, Mr. Jones, sir, if I can be completely honest with you, you should know. While part of our being apart was due to my dishonesty in not telling her who I am, the other and biggest part was due to my ex-wife. Long story short, my ex-wife approached Mercy about a week ago and threatened her."

"Threatened her? Physically?

"No, not Mercy, but she did insinuate that she would harm you, Mrs. Jones, Ally, your son Michael, Spencer and Alistair, if Mercy didn't agree to stop seeing me."

"What the hell?"

"But Mr. Jones, both Mercy and I confronted her yesterday. We were supposed to file a formal complaint with the police today but got side-tracked." As images of her writhing beneath me take over my mind, I notice Mr. Jones stare at me is nothing short of impatience bordering on anger. I nervously rub my neck and then clear my throat. "I will make sure we follow up and do that tomorrow." I hear the soft creak of the basement door and see Zack and Ally coming into the kitchen.

"We need a snack. Are there any chips?"

I shake my head. "No chips son. It will spoil your dinner. Have a piece of fruit. Dinner should be ready in about an hour."

Ally grabs two bottles of water from the refrigerator and Zack takes two apples from the fruit basket on the kitchen table. "OK. See you in a while."

"See you later." I watch their retreating forms as they both scurry back to the basement door. I feel Mr. Jones' stare as I listen to them walking down the stairs. When the sound is no more, I finally find the nerve to look over to meet his eyes.

"This ex-wife. Is it Zack's mother?"

"Yes, sir. I've only been married once."

"Does he know?"

"No. I'm giving her the opportunity to tell him this weekend but if she does not, I will."

"That was May's idea, wasn't it?" I nod. "Sounds like her. Look, do I need to take precautions around my home? Is this woman capable of doing what she threatened?"

"Not to my knowledge. She doesn't have the resources. She works in the cafeteria at Ally's school."

"WHAT!? That's a little too close for comfort in my opinion. May knows all this right?

"Yes sir, she does."

Mr. Jones takes a few minutes to mull over everything that I shared with him. I watch him as he places some ingredients in a plastic bag. As he begins to swish them around, he looks back at me. "Sam, you seem like a nice guy, so I am going to count on you to keep my daughter and granddaughter safe and happy. Just please look out for them and please make sure to file that complaint in the morning."

"Yes sir, Mr. Jones. I give you my word. Both of them mean more to me that I think you know. And Mercy and I will definitely file the complaint tomorrow."

"OK, now that that is out of the way. You've got to tell me why you call May Mercy."

"Only if you tell me why you call her May." I grin.

He chuckles. "Deal. You first."

"Mr. Jones, I won't lie to you, when I first laid eyes on her, I only got a view of her from the back and my first thoughts were Lord have mercy!" My eyes do that thing they always do when I think about her glorious backside. Mr. Jones clears his throat to get my attention. I snap out of it and continue. "But when she turned around, she took my breath away. It was just the calmness of her spirit and the way her face lit up when she smiled. When she finally introduced herself to me, I shortened her name to Mercy in my head, because I was already completely at hers. I think I called her Mercy for the first time a few days later, and she liked it, so that's what I have called her ever since. And it really is a variation of Mercedes." I see a small smile on his face and watch as he places each chicken breast in the bag to marinate for a few minutes. "Now, you. What's the story behind the name May?" I begin to gather all the tools we will need to get the chicken started on the grill.

"From the time she started school, she would always say 'may I' when she wanted something, and she would always correct her older brother when he said 'can.' I think one day it got to him and he started repeating the word 'may' to kind of tease her. It was something he would do when he knew she was right. He started calling her May which led to the rest of us doing it too and we have been calling her that ever since." We both chuckle as I lead him out to the patio and fire up the grill.

I take a seat in one of the chairs next to the railing and he sits down next to me. "Mr. Jones, sir, can I share something with you?"

"Sure Sam."

"I just want to make it clear to you that I love your daughter sir. I am hoping to be able to call her my fiancé in the near future. I just want to make sure you know that I am going to provide for and protect Mercy and Ally as long as there is breath in my body."

"I truly believe that Sam. I really do. And I couldn't be happier to know that she is happy. I haven't seen her this happy since she and Ally's father were together."

"Spencer."

"You've met him?"

"Yes. I met him and Alistair a few days after I first met Mercy. He seems like a good guy. We've even socialized with the two of them a few times."

"Yes, he is. A lot of people assume that my wife or I have hatred in our hearts for him, but we don't. He will always be apart of our life and in our hearts, because he gave us the single most precious thing that anyone could. Our one and only grandchild, Ally. I don't know how much May told you about their history, but he and Alistair are part of our family. Family is important to us and you can never have too much. I mean like Spencer always says, the more, the merrier." He chuckles.

I nod and smile. "That's good to hear Mr. Jones." I look over at the grill and then stand to check the temperature. "Looks like it's ready." I take the chicken breasts and place each on the grill. Mr. Jones excuses himself to use the bathroom and I continue to tend to the meat as I do what I always do when I have a meaningful conversation with someone.

* * *

**MERCY POV**

Mom and I are standing at the deli counter waiting for the clerk to package up our sides. "I like him. He makes you happy, I can tell. I can also tell you two got past the 'I love yous,' so will there be wedding bells soon?"

I shake my head. "Oh my god mom. Slow down. We just got back together. Give it some time."

She smiles over at me. "Zack seems like a sweet boy."

"He really is mom. He's a great kid." I have a wide smile on my face as I think about him.

She raises an eyebrow at me. "Does he know?"

I shake my head again as my smile fades. "Sam is giving her the opportunity to tell him first. If she doesn't, he will."

"All I can say is she better be glad that you two worked it out because I was about to blow her whole world apart." She glances down at her nails.

I narrow my eyes at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she isn't the only one that can look into someone's life. And believe me she's got plenty of skeletons."

"Really? Like what?"

She glances at me. "Let's just say the entire time she was married to Sam, she had another."

My jaw drops. "What?!"

"Yes, some man named Brian Dennis. She's been involved with him for almost twenty years now."

"You're kidding me!" I blink several times.

"Why would I kid about that?"

I turn my full attention to her. "How did you find out about him?"

She focuses back on her nails. "I have my ways."

"Mom."

She shakes her head at me as the clerk hands over containers of baked beans, potato salad and cole slaw. "No, we'll just keep that info in our back pockets and use it only if she attempts to get in your face again." She places them in the basket and then pushes it away from me and toward the bread aisle.

I hurry behind her and grab the side of the basket to stop it from moving. "But mom, I've got to tell Sam. I cannot keep this from him. He deserves to know."

She puts one hand on her hip. "May, if you do that, it could blow up in your face. Listen, I'm not saying don't tell him. I'm saying if you decide to tell him, be prepared for his reaction."

I pause for a moment. I definitely don't want a repeat of last night. Maybe I should wait a few days before telling him. If this has been going on for almost twenty years, then what's a few more days to confirm what my mom is telling me? "Are you sure about this?"

She pushes the basket and then stops in front of the hamburger buns. "As sure as I can be."

I exhale and count to ten. "OK, let me ask another way. What type of proof do you have?"

"Pictures."

I throw my hands in the air. "Pictures? Come on mom. Are you trying to say you have twenty years worth of pictures that proves Marley was seeing someone else all those years?"

Undeterred, she grabs two packs of hamburger buns. "That is exactly what I am saying." She pushes the basket toward the end of the aisle and turns to go to one of the self-checkout lanes.

"How?" I don't know what to say or believe at this moment.

"Your cousin Elaine."

I study her face. It is as serious as I have ever seen. "What? How does Elaine know Marley?"

She swipes a pack of the hamburger buns across the scanner. "She doesn't, but she is friends with a girl named Joyce, and Joyce has been Marley's best friend since high school."

"OK mom. This is sounding a little too far-fetched for me." I take the buns and place them in a bag.

She turns and places a hand back on her hip. "May, this all just fell into my lap. I was talking to your Aunt Teresa and Elaine overheard. Long story short, Elaine was hired by Marley's best friend Joyce to put together an engagement gift for Marley and Brian. Joyce ended up sending two envelopes full of pictures to use for their gift." She turns and then swipes the other pack of hamburger buns across the scanner.

I take it from her. "Wait a minute, she's engaged?"

"She was. According to Elaine, Joyce contacted her in the middle of July to cancel her order, but Elaine still has all of the pictures." She continues to scan the containers of sides.

I bag each one and then take out my debit card to pay. "I think you have the wrong Marley Rose. She's been chasing Sam. If she was engaged, why would she be after him?" I take the receipt and then begin placing the bags in our basket.

"That, I don't know, but I do know that while Marley Rose's profiles on all social media sites are set to private, Brian Dennis' are not." She holds up her phone and I see a picture of a tall, attractive blond with his arms wrapped around Marley, and Marley is holding up her left hand. The smile on her face says it all. She is happy. The caption on the picture is dated June 9th with the words 'She finally said YES!' followed by several heart and smiling emojis. "Is this the woman who threatened you?"

"Yes, that's her." Confusion immediately starts stirring in my mind. Did she call off her engagement in hopes of getting back with Sam? I wonder if Sam knows she was engaged? "I don't know what any of that means mom. I just know that when she threatened me last week, she made it clear that she wanted me out of the way so that she and Sam could get back together." I pull the basket and then move toward the exit. "I cannot think about this anymore. Like you said, just keep that information to yourself."

"Are you going to tell Sam?"

"I don't know yet. Regardless, let's just get back to the house. The kids need to eat and get ready for bed."

* * *

**SAM POV**

After a few more embarrassing childhood stories during dinner, Zack runs out to my truck to get our overnight bags. When he returns, the kids go off to shower and get ready for bed while Mercy and her father clear the dishes, and her mother and I put the leftovers away. Once our tasks are done, we help her parents get settled in the guest room, say our good nights to them and then to the kids. Finally snuggled in her bed, I take the opportunity to ravish her. It's been too many hours since I've had my hands on her. Before too long, we decide to move our escapades to the shower in order to drown out any sounds that may occur. Seven and eight for her and four for me are out of the way before we exit the bathroom.

She pulls on a night shirt and I slide into a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt. "I like your parents." I climb into bed next to her and then pull her to me so that her head is resting on my chest.

Her fingers trail up and down my chest. She raises her head to look up at me. "Good. I'm glad. I can tell my mom really likes you. Give dad some time. His bark is way worse than his bite, but he will warm up to you."

"I can't fault him. You're his little girl. I would be the exact same way with any man who looks at my daughter the way I look at you. But he and I had a great talk while you were at O'Hares with your mom."

"Really? About what?" A small smile appears on her lips.

"I won't get into the particulars, but he knows what you mean to me. He also asked me why I call you Mercy. Plus, he notices the way I look at you so he told me he would break every bone in my body if I hurt you."

"Like I said, his bark is much worse than his bite. But inquiring minds want to know, how do you look at me?" Her eyes lock with mine.

I smirk at her. "Predatory, desperate, hungry. Like I cannot wait to get you naked."

She throws her head back and laughs. "Oh my god. I hope you didn't say that to him."

"I didn't but I think he knows. Anytime I even think about that ass, my eyes glaze over." She puckers her lips and softly swats my chest. I grab her hand before she can retract it and bring it to my lips. "I love you Mercy."

"I love you too Sam." She leans up and gives me a deep, passionate kiss. Her eyes lock with mine as she draws away. I lean forward and peck her once on the lips before she rests her head on my chest again.

"I also made him a promise that I would take care of you and Ally to the best of my ability. We need to make sure we go down to the police station and file the complaint tomorrow. No exceptions."

"Are you sure you want to do that babe?"

"Absolutely sure. We have to Mercy. For peace of mind. I didn't get around to calling Marley today, but I will call her first thing tomorrow and let her know that she needs to tell Zack that she threatened you. I'm giving her until he returns on Sunday. If she doesn't, I will tell him and I need you to be there with me too. He needs to see that you are there to support him and that you don't blame him."

"I know babe. That's one of my fears. That he will somehow feel guilty about what she did. But you can count on me. I will be there by your side."

"Thank you love." I tighten my hold around her. "You ready for bed?"

"In a minute. I want to ask you something. Do you know if Marley has been involved with anyone seriously since your divorce?"

"I have no idea. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. It just seems that there has to have been someone in her life for the past six years. I just don't understand why she is so adamant about getting together with you again."

"You will worry yourself into a migraine trying to figure out why she does what she does."

"I guess you're right." She stifles a yawn. "Let's go to sleep babe."

I reach over, rotate the knob on the lamp to turn off the lights and then kiss the top of her head. "Good night beautiful."

"Good night baby."


	18. Comparing Notes

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Friday September 18th

Her soft kisses against my neck wake me. Keeping my eyes closed, I grin and lower my arm to palm her ass. As soon as my hand touches the mound, I immediately frown. Something is amiss. I open my eyes and see a mess of brunette hair attached to the head and mouth nuzzled against my neck. _What the fuck?!_ The head rises and I see piercing blue eyes glaring back at me. "Morning Sammy."

"What are you doing here? Why are you in bed with me?"

"Where else am I supposed to be? I am your wife after all."

"You are my ex-wife!"

"Oh, that doesn't matter. A simple technicality. You'll always be mine Sam. You just need to accept that. I will always have a special place in your heart because I am the mother of your only child. Your 'Mercy' will come to realize and accept that too, and when she finally does leave you, just know that I will always be waiting with open arms." She begins to lower her mouth toward me, but I push her away.

I dart out of the bed and take in my surroundings. _This is Mercy's room. Where is Mercy?_ Right on cue, my head turns toward the bathroom as I hear the shower running. Then I hear her singing. I turn to look at Marley with clenched teeth. "How did you get in here?"

"Oh Sammy. That should be the least of your worries." She smiles sweetly at me and then all of the sudden she yells out. "Now!" At that moment, a pair of strong arms wrap around my chest from behind and then another hand covers my mouth. I smell a familiar cologne as I feel a sharp jab in the side of my neck. My eyes are frozen on her face as she raises her hand and waves a childlike 'bye-bye" at me. I instantly feel drowsy and lose my balance. When I hit the floor, my eyes are heavy, and my vision is blurry, but I see the three of them standing over me. Then the tallest one picks me up and slings me over his shoulder. By the time he reaches the bedroom door, I'm completely out.

* * *

I feel soft kisses against my neck again, but this time I muster all the strength I have to flip her over and pin her against the bed. When I open my eyes, I am looking into Mercy's fearful brown ones. "Sam, baby, are you alright?" I quickly turn my head to look at the clock and then behind me to see the door to her bedroom is closed. I jump off her and dart out of the room and sprint straight to the basement door. Flinging the door open, I hurry down the stairs. When I reach the bottom, I find Zack curled up and fast asleep. A huge relief washes over me, but just for a moment, because my mind instinctively goes to Ally. I run back up the stairs, almost knocking Mercy over in the process, and straight into Ally's room. She is there fast asleep as well. "Sam, what the hell are you doing?" I turn to look at her with shallow, heavy breathing. I walk toward her and wrap my arms around her, holding her as tight as I can and burying my face in her hair. "Sam, baby, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" I hear Ally stir in bed behind me, so I walk a few steps forward, backing Mercy out of her room and both of us into the hallway. I keep one arm around Mercy as I close the door with my other hand. I look down and into her worried eyes. I can feel the tears pooling in mine. Her right hand comes up and she cradles my cheek. "Sam, baby, please. Tell me what's wrong." I lean my face into her hand and close my eyes, allowing the pooled tears to fall, but once they start, I cannot get them to stop. "Oh baby." I feel her wrap her arms tight around my waist and rest her head on my chest. "It's OK. Whatever it is, it will be OK." My tears continue as I feel her turn and walk us back to her bedroom. She closes the door behind us and then leads me over to the bed. I sit down and she kneels in front of me, grabbing both of my hands. "What do you need baby?"

She gently strokes her thumbs across my knuckles as I work to halt my tears and calm my breathing. Moments later, when only my soft sniffles fill the room, I pull her into my lap. I rest my head against her chest as she wraps both of her arms around me. "I just need you Mercy."

"You have me. For as long as you want me."

"I want you forever."

"Then that is how long you will have me."

I raise my head and look into her eyes. "Promise?"

She nods. "Promise." I lift my hand and cradle the back of her head, pulling her mouth to mine. As a single tear rolls down my cheek, I kiss her like I've never kissed her before.

As the kiss deepens, I stand, lifting her with me, then turn and lie us down on the bed, carefully keeping our lips connected. As she settles, I part her legs with my knee and then position myself between them. I feel her hands rub up and down my back and then move into my hair. I instantly harden and grind into her, causing her legs to wrap around me. Our kiss turns hungrier and our heavy pants and moans are muffled by each other's mouths. I feel her grind up against me. My eyes dart down, and I see that her night shirt has ridden up and her pale pink panties are on full display. Slowing our kiss to soft pecks, I lock my eyes on hers. "I need you Mercy." With her heavy-lidded eyes, she nods. I hook my fingers into the waistband of her panties and give them one hard tug. I lower my pants just enough to free my erection, cover her mouth with mine again and quickly plunge into her. Muffling her reaction with my tongue buried in her mouth, I rest my forehead against hers and repeatedly thrust deeply into her, circling my hips, first to the right and then the left, each thrust delving deeper into the depths of her soul. I slide my hands under her and knead the flesh of her ass. I feel her ankles resting on the back of my calves and she presses her hands against my ass. Our muffled moans remain intermingled until I feel her walls rapidly constricting around me. My entire body begins to shake uncontrollably causing me to swiftly lift my mouth from hers. "Ah!" I still and close my eyes as I feel the rhythmic spasm of my cock inside her. The feeling is more intense than I have ever felt before. I remain frozen with my eyes closed as her walls squeeze and drain every drop from me. Mere seconds later, I collapse on top of her with my head buried next to hers.

I awaken several minutes later to the feel of her fingers lightly stroking my back. I turn my head and kiss the side of her head. "Welcome back." I moan softly in response. She turns her head to look at me. "You want to talk about it?" I moan again as I shake my head. "OK. It's 3:00 in the morning. Can we go back to sleep then?" Moaning again, I smile and nod. I slowly slide out of her and then kiss her lips.

We both scoot upward on the bed toward the headboard and then I lean over to grab a Kleenex. My eyes then zero in on my uncovered member. We didn't use a condom. _We didn't use a condom._ I glance over at her, already settled on her side facing me with a satisfied expression on her face. Well, it's not the worst idea in the world. I already know she's the only person in this world for me. She's going to be my wife. Hell, I knew that three months ago. Not giving it another thought, I ball up the Kleenex, dropping it on the floor next to my side of the bed and then pull up my pants. I settle in next to her, on my side facing her, and wrap and arm around her waist. I pull her close and kiss her forehead. "I love you Mercy."

* * *

Several hours later, we are saying our goodbyes to the kids as Tony waits to take them to school. Ally wraps her arms around me and rests her head against my chest as Mercy hugs Zack. I wrap my arms around Ally. "See you Sunday sweetheart. Have a good weekend." I kiss the top of her head.

She pulls away. "You too." She walks over to Mercy and kisses her cheek as Zack punches me in the shoulder.

"See you later old man."

"Hey, I'm not that old." I narrow my eyes at him causing him to chuckle. I flick his ear and then give him a victorious smile. He winces and punches at me again, but I quickly move out of his path, causing him to miss. "I'll see you at the game. Have a good day son. I love you."

He nods. "See you there. Love you too." Just as he turns to leave, his fist manages to make contact with my arm. Then he darts away and out the door, letting his laughter fill the air. Ally just shakes her head and follows him. Mercy and I leave minutes later and make our way to the police station.

* * *

As we leave the police station, I grab her hand. "Well that seemed like a complete waste of time. It's like they won't or can't do anything until she gets physical."

"I actually had a feeling this was going to happen but at least we have documented what happened."

"I guess you're right." Once we reach our cars, I pin her against hers and chastely kiss her lips. "Hey, I know you are still wondering about what was going on with me early this morning."

"Yeah, but it's OK. I know you had a bad dream. You can tell me about it when you are ready, no pressure. But I just want to make sure you know I meant what I said this morning. You've got me forever babe. I love you." Her eyes sparkle as she looks into mine.

"I love you too."

"You are coming over after you leave Zack's game, right?"

"Yes ma'am. Then tomorrow we will swing by the apartment to check the mail and christen a few surfaces before heading to the mansion for the weekend." I wink at her.

She grins and shakes her head. "OK. I'm going to go back to the house now. I'm surprised mom hasn't called yet. Get to work. I love you Evs." She leans up and plants a long passionate kiss on my lips.

"I love you too Jones."

* * *

Arriving at my office, I greet Harriett and settle behind my desk. I glance down and see a single white envelope with the familiar wording stamped on the edge. I open it and remove the small piece of paper tucked inside. February 22nd. Alright, another meaningless random date. Opening my briefcase, I take out the notebook I have been using to record these random dates. I've been trying to keep them in order by the date that I received them. I've gotten a date almost every day for the past week, except I don't have anything recorded for 9/15. That probably means it was delivered to either the mansion or the apartment. I was at the mansion on the 16th but I didn't check my office for anything. I haven't been back to the apartment since the 14th. I shake my head when I realize I am spending too much time on this. I quickly enter the date I just received at the bottom of the page with a question mark, because I don't know for sure if it is yesterday's date or today's, and then scan through the page.

9/9 November 27th robocall

9/10 January 23rd delivered to office sketch of the Amer. flag

9/11 September 5th text

9/12 December 18th delivered to mansion 'everything is not as it seems' and 'MINE'

9/13 March 31st robocall

9/14 June 8th delivered to the apt sketch of a ring

9/15 ?

9/16 July 2nd text

? February 22nd delivered to office

The only date that remotely stands out is June 8th. That was the date of me and Mercy's first official date, but there wasn't a ring involved. The only person I've ever given a ring to was Marley and that was on the day we got married. It was just a simple gold band. Marley and I were married in February but not on the 22nd. I look at the dates again. Other than June 8th, the rest mean nothing to me. I close the notebook and tuck it back inside my briefcase. Enough.

A knock sounds on my door as I power up my computer. "Come in." I turn my head toward the door and watch as Harriett enters.

"Mr. Evans, there is something that I need to bring to your attention."

"Sure. Have a seat."

"I'm not quite sure what to make of it, however, I just ended a call with Mr. Williams from Wallingsford High School. He was attempting to reschedule the meeting that he says was cancelled last week."

"Cancelled? I met with him on..." I glance over at my meeting schedule for the last two weeks. "We met on the 16th."

"I know that sir, which is why I'm not quite sure what to make of it. He was adamant that he has never met you and that the meeting that was scheduled was cancelled."

"Hmm. That is odd." "Can you get him back on the line?"

"Sure." She stands and hurries back to her desk.

A couple of minutes later, Harriett buzzes and transfers him to my line. "Mr. Williams."

"Mr. Evans, hello. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly."

"Sure, although I am not sure what to make of what my assistant has just informed me. She tells me that you are contacting my office to reschedule a meeting?"

"That's correct."

"My records indicate that we didn't cancel that meeting. It was held as planned on September 9th at 9:00 AM."

"There must be some mistake. I know that that was when the meeting was scheduled however, I received a call the day before advising that the meeting had to be rescheduled."

"Do you recall who you spoke with? Was it Harriett?"

"I feel embarrassed to say it, but the caller said he was Sam Evans."

"I can assure you that it was not me. I apologize, I'm not sure what has happened here, however, I can tell you that I met with someone that introduced himself to me as Mr. Williams on September 9th." Harriett enters again holding a piece of paper in one hand. "Can I put you on hold for a moment."

"Sure."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I wanted you to see this. I went to the school's website and found a picture of the principal." She hands it over to me. "That is definitely not the man who was here last week."

"Thanks Harriett. Do I have any free time today? I'd like to have him come in today if possible."

"Let me check."

"Mr. Williams, thank you for holding. Please allow me to apologize. My assistant just printed your picture from the school's website, and this is definitely not the person that I met with last week."

"Well now I am just as confused as you. Who would pretend to be me and why?"

"I couldn't even begin to fathom. Do you have any free time today? I take full responsibility for this misstep."

"I am free the whole afternoon. And thank you. I really appreciate this."

"Sure. My assistant is looking to see what I have open today. If you could hold on for another moment, we can get our meeting scheduled."

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Harriett re-enters. "You are free from 2:30 until 4:00." I nod at her and hold my index finger up while I re-connect the call.

"Thank you for holding again. I can meet with you at 2:30 today."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you again and I'll see you this afternoon."

"See you this afternoon." I hang up the phone and then turn my attention to Harriett. "Please put him on my schedule for 2:30 and then please get Hank on the line. I want him to scrub camera footage for the person who claimed to be Mr. Williams. He can just send it to me by email."

"Sure. What does all this mean?"

"I haven't a clue Harriett, but we're going to get to the bottom of it."

* * *

A couple of hours later, I am exiting the main conference room, after attending our monthly meeting with all the department heads, when my phone rings. I slide it out of my pocket and see that it is another unknown call. I ignore it, sending it to my voice mail. I'll listen to it later. Right now, I'm anxious to get back to my office to see what footage Hank has been able to provide. Jonathan approaches me as we wait for the elevator. "You know we still need to set a date for dinner. I'm anxious to meet your lady."

I raise an eyebrow in his direction. "Why are you so anxious?"

"Are you kidding? She's gorgeous. I want to see if there is a chance for me!" His face breaks out in a huge smirk as he cackles.

I roll my eyes at him. "Yeah sure. Stephanie would have you strung up by the balls if you even tried." The elevator arrives and I allow him to enter first, then I follow. I press the button for our floor.

"Don't I know it. But seriously, it's not often that we socialize, and I'd like to change that. Having this dinner set seems like a start."

"I agree. Maybe we can try for next weekend. Let me check with Mercy and I'll let you know." The elevator dings as the car comes to a stop.

"Mercy? You call her Mercy? That's cute, and kind of hot."

I shake my head as we exit the elevator. "You're a fool Jon. I'll let you know."

He nods. "See you later Sam."

"See you."

I enter my office through the front entrance just as Harriett looks up in my direction. "Anything yet?"

"Yes. He sent it about twenty minutes ago."

I walk over to her desk and watch the footage with her. We watch two of the five files sent by Hank together. I mutter to myself out loud. "Who are you?" I think back to that day. I recall when I met him, I initially thought he would be older but other than that, nothing else was out of the ordinary. He went into his pitch for expanding the auditorium. He rattled off numbers and percentages. There was nothing that occurred during that meeting that would make me think he was any one other than who he said he was. "Can you contact Tony and ask him to come in? I need him on top of this."

"Yes sir."

I go into my office and pull up the email with the videos from Hank. I click on the first attachment labeled as Lobby – Reception desk at 8:47AM to review it again. The video begins and I see him standing in line in front of the reception desk. He looks calm and confident. He checks his watch a couple of times. His shoes are shiny, and I immediately recall that about his appearance when he walked into my office last week. I continue to watch the video and notice him providing his identification to Betty, who verifies and then hands it back to him. She passes a visitor's badge to him and points him toward the elevator. Once he is out of the frame, I close the video and open the next labeled as Elevator – UP at 8:50AM to review it again as well. The video starts, and I see him glance at his watch again. I wonder if that is a nervous thing or if there is something more sinister behind it. I remember him doing it a few times during our meeting as well. He exits the elevator and the video stops. I close it and open the next one labeled as Hallway S Evans Office at 8:51AM. The video plays and I see him walking down the hall to the men's room. He exits the men's room at 8:54AM and I watch as he opens the door to my office reception area, then the video stops. I close it and open the next one labeled S Evans Office – Reception at 8:55AM. I study the video. He sits and appears to talk a bit with Harriett and continues to glance down at his watch. At 9:00AM Harriett stands to escort him into my office. He stands and quickly glances up, directly into the camera's eye, with a smirk on his face. It was so fast but definitely there. I drag the bar on the screen back a bit to capture the moment again. As soon as he does it, I freeze the video. "Who is this person?" I take a snapshot of the frame and then save it. I review each video again, but it only leads to more questions with the most glaring one being why he kept checking the time.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Tony enters my office. "Hey Sam. What's going on?"

"Hey T. Thanks for coming so quickly. I need you to find out who this man is." I turn the computer monitor toward him. He leans forward and studies the image.

"Consider it done. Send what you have to me. I'll get right on it. If I don't have something for you today, I will by first thing Monday morning, but I will check in with you tonight just to keep you in the loop."

"Good."

"What do you know about him?"

"Actually, everything I thought I know turns out not to be true. He came in for a meeting with me on the 9th. I was under the impression that his name was Williams and that he was the principal at Zack's school."

"Williams is an old guy."

"I know that now but when I met with him, nothing gave me the impression that he wasn't who he said he was." I pause when I realize what he said. "Wait, how do you know Williams is an old guy?"

"I see him sometimes from the carpool line. He stands near the entrance greeting the students as they arrive for the day. Zack told me who he was."

I nod. "OK, well, I don't see anything suspicious from the videos. His presence is accounted for from the time he entered the building to the time he left. The only thing I noticed was that he glanced at his watch quite often. At least ten times, if not more."

"OK, anything else I need to know?"

"No. I've told you everything that I know about him."

"I'll get started on it right away."

"Thank you."

"Sure." Tony turns and leaves, winking at Harriett in the process. I chuckle to myself. She is old enough to be his grandmother, but he is the only one that I have ever known to make her giggle like a schoolgirl.

Re-positioning my computer monitor, I glance down and see that it is nearing noon. I need to eat something before my 1:00 meeting. I give Harriett a quick call to find out if she has had lunch. Finding out she has not, I offer to order something from our onsite cafeteria for her. After she gives me her order, I call our café manager, Derek, and ask that he have lunch delivered to my office. While waiting for our lunch I decide to check in with Mercy.

"Hey baby."

"Hi beautiful. How is your day going?"

"Oh, not too bad. I'm currently trapped in a 1970s musical explosion. My parents have turned my living room into the Soul Train dance floor."

I laugh out loud. "Oh, man, I would love to see that."

"Believe me, you wouldn't. Anyway, how is your day going?"

"Much better now that I hear your voice."

"Aww. I miss you babe."

"I miss you too beautiful."

"Mom and Dad have an early flight in the morning, so they will probably be in bed by the time you get here."

"You're going to wait up for me, right?"

"Of course baby."

A knock sounds on the door and then it opens to reveal one of the kitchen workers bringing a covered plate toward me. "Good. OK, my lunch is here and then I have meetings until 4:00. I love you Mercy."

"I love you too. Enjoy your lunch."

"I will beautiful. Thanks."

"Bye."

"Bye."

* * *

At 2:30, my desk phone buzzes. I lift the receiver to answer. "Yes Harriett."

"Mr. Williams is here."

"Send him in please."

A knock sounds on the door and then it opens. Harriett steps inside and then gestures for Mr. Williams to enter. When I see him, I stand and approach him with my hand out-stretched. "Mr. Williams, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Please come in and have a seat."

"It's good to meet you as well." He moves to one of the chairs in front of my desk. In his hand, he carries a briefcase.

I nod at Harriett and then close the door behind her. "Let me apologize again for the confusion surrounding our last meeting." I move back to my desk and take my seat.

"Already forgotten. I appreciate you fitting me in today."

"Sure. So, what can I do for you?"

"Well..." He turns and sees the small conference table to the side of him. "Do you mind if we move to the table? I have some documents I would like to share."

"Sure." We both move over to the conference table.

I watch as he retrieves a folder from his briefcase. "OK, we started a renovation project for our auditorium approximately fourteen months ago. The renovations that we would like to complete by the end of this school year are listed here." He hands over a list of planned renovations with the cost involved. I look quickly at the total cost to see that it is close to three hundred thousand dollars. I look up at him and I see him smile. "I'm sure you noticed the total sticker price. Please don't misunderstand my intentions. Up until now, the funds for the renovation have solely been raised by the staff and students by holding different fundraising events. Let me show you something." He hands a piece of paper to me. It is a printed picture of what I assume is the auditorium. The décor appears extremely outdated and in desperate need of repairs. I look at him again. "That's our before picture. Here is the current progress. This was taken just this morning."

When I view the print-out, I am floored. It looks like a completely different room. "This is incredible."

"Thank you, Mr. Evans. The staff and students have worked extremely hard to raise what we have so far. I really would like to secure the remaining funds needed to get this auditorium done before the students leave for winter break."

"What is yet to be completed?"

"Painting, refinishing the stage floor and carpeting."

I glance quickly down at the list of prices he handed to me initially and quickly do the math. I look up at him again, shocked. "You mean to tell me, through fundraising alone, that you were able to raise two-hundred thousand dollars?"

"That is exactly what I am telling you Mr. Evans. We had several one of a kind items donated by various anonymous parties and held silent auctions. We were able to raffle off two brand new cars, several exotic vacation packages and a few cruise packages."

"Wow." This is exactly what I was hoping to hear. Someone who had put forth an effort to raise the funds needed before asking for a donation. "Mr. Williams, I must say. I am speechless. What you've been able to accomplish on your own is both respectable and inspiring."

"Thank you, Mr. Evans." He clears his throat and begins to wring his hands together. "Now, to get to the reason I am here."

"Let me stop you." I move over to my own briefcase and take out my checkbook. After writing the check, I return to the conference table. "I want you to have this. I want you to take this and finish the renovations. With the rest, I would like you to invest in the school. Wherever you see fit. What you, the staff and the students have accomplished here is no small feat."

As his eyes scan the check, he leans back in his chair and shakes his head. "Mr. Evans, I can't..."

"You can, and you will."

I hear the emotion in his voice. "Thank you. Thank you from the entire staff. Thank you from our students." He closes his eyes and lifts his head to the ceiling as he clears is throat. He takes a calming breath. After a few moments, he lowers his head and smiles. "Thank you." He stands and begins to gather his things. "Now, I am going to leave before I embarrass myself any further. You don't know what this will mean to the entire school." He extends his hand to me with a wide smile spread across his face. "Thank you again and I do hope you will be able to attend our first assembly once we have completed renovations."

Releasing his hand, I smile in return. "I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

Several hours later, I am seated on the bleachers at the football stadium when I hear a drum cadence and then see the band filing onto the field. I stand with the rest of the crowd and cheer them on as they get into their formation and start the first song. I listen for a few bars until I can recognize the tune. As soon as I do, I start humming along. Then I look for Zack and see him in front toward the left end of the drumline. I take out my phone and take a couple of pictures of him dressed in his uniform of all white with black and gold accents. I zoom in as best I can and get a shot of his face, serious with concentration, with his hat pulled down low and the gold feather adorning the top flailing in the wind. The first song ends to a raving applause and then the second one, a more upbeat tempo, starts and the drumline parts and begins to move into several formations with the rest of the instruments. By the time the entire performance comes to an end, my ears are ringing because of the cheers from the entire stadium. The drum cadence starts again and the band files off the field.

Watching the final quarter of the football game, I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I take it out to see a message from Zack.

**Can you drop me off at moms after the game**

**Of course**

**OK it shouldnt take me too long to be ready**

**Its no rush Do what you need to do I'll wait in the stands until I hear from you.**

**Thanks dad**

**Sure great job tonight**

**Did you see me**

**Yes. Got a few pics too**

* * *

I say good night to Zack as I drop him off at his mother's and then make my way to Mercy's. I am still a bit irritated that Marley couldn't bother to come to the game to watch Zack's performance. As I stew about that, my phone rings and I see that it is my girl.

"Hey beautiful."

"Hey baby. You still at the game?"

"No. I just dropped Zack off at his mother's. I'm on my way to your place."

"Marley didn't go to the game?"

"Don't get me started on that but to answer your question, no she didn't."

"Wow. That's all I can say about that."

"Yeah I know."

"How did they do?"

"They did great. I enjoyed it and I could tell that he did too."

"That's all that matters then."

"Right. How about Ally?"

"Oh, they did great. They played Disney songs, so you know I was singing along."

"And I missed it. Dammit!"

"Yes, you did, but I will give you a private concert one of these days. How does that sound?"

"That sounds awesome."

"I thought you'd like that. OK, now off the phone, so you can keep an eye on the road. I'll see you when you get here babe. Drive safe."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

When I reach her house, I see her driveway is clear, so I pull into her usual spot. She must have put her car in the garage for the weekend. I exit my truck and lock the doors. As I reach the front door, it swings open and she smiles at me. "Hey you."

"Hi baby." I pull her to me for a kiss. "How was the rest of your day?" She pulls me inside and closes the door behind us. Then she walks into her living room and I follow her.

She takes a seat on the couch and tucks a foot under her bottom. "It wasn't bad actually. Dad was entertaining to say the least. We met up with Spencer and Alistair for dinner before the game and then went onto the game. Ally had her own little cheering section. How was the rest of your day? Did you eat something?" She reaches up and pulls me down next to her.

I rest my head on her shoulder. "It was fine, and yeah, I just grabbed a sandwich from Subway."

I feel her head lean forward to look at my face. "What's wrong babe?"

I exhale and sit upright. "I just feel back for Zack. I was the only one there for him tonight. His mother couldn't even bother to show up." She throws an arm around my shoulder and I rest my head against her chest.

"Yeah that does suck, but you were there. That matters."

"I know it does, but it would have been nice for her to have been there to support him too." I lift my head to look at her. "You know, when I dropped him off at her house, there was an unfamiliar car there. Of course I could be completely off-base, but It just irritates me to think she was probably socializing when she should have been at the game. I mean the only thing that would keep me away would be work, and even then I would do whatever I had to reschedule it. We both know that work didn't keep her away, so what was so important?" I sit upright again, lower my eyes and pound my fist against my thigh. "I'm sorry beautiful, but it just annoys me that she wasn't there, and she didn't even bother to tell Zack that she wasn't going to be there until right before the game started." I feel her eyes on me, so I look up to see worry all over her face. "What's wrong baby?"

She slides her arm from around me and clasps her hands together. She takes a deep breath as she fidgets with her fingers before lowering them to her lap. "Babe, I'm going to tell you something, but I need to know that you won't take it out on me."

I clear my throat. "OK, I promise I won't. What is it?"

She hesitates for a split second. "Do you know a man named Brian Dennis?"

"No, should I?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Let me show you something." She leans forward and picks up her phone from the coffee table. She unlocks it, taps the screen a couple of times and then turns the screen toward me. When I take in what she is showing me, I see a familiar face smiling back at me.

"Wait a minute." I slide my phone out of my pocket and open the frame I saved from the security camera in my office. I turn the phone toward her.

Both of her eyebrows raise as she sees it. "He's been to your office?"

I nod. "Yes, but he pretended to be the principal at Zack's school. How do you know him?"

She shakes her head as her expression relaxes. "I don't. I just found out that he has been involved with your ex-wife, apparently for the last twenty years."

My jaw drops. "What?"

"That's what I said."

I study her for a few moments. "How do you know this?"

"My mother."

"How does she know?"

"A cousin of mine."

I lean forward, placing my elbows on my knees and massage my temples. "I'm confused."

"OK, my mom was talking to her sister, my aunt Teresa, when Teresa's daughter, Elaine, overheard Marley's name being mentioned. Elaine told them that Marley's best friend since high school contacted her to create a unique engagement gift for Marley and Brian."

Dropping my hands from my head, I quickly turn my head and look at her. "Engagement gift? She's engaged?"

"She was for a short time this past summer but called it off, apparently in July."

I sit upright when it hits me. "The dates!"

"What dates?"

"I've been getting these random dates sent to me every day for the last week or so. One of them was a date in June and there was the sketch of a ring on the note as well."

"What?"

"Hold on. Let me get my briefcase from the truck." I stand, rush out to the truck and grab my briefcase. Clicking the button to lock the doors, I rush back up the steps and then back to my spot next to her. I open the briefcase and pull out my notebook. "OK so here is a list of all the dates that I have received. I get them either delivered to my apartment, my office, the mansion, via text or by phone call. The calls always have a robotic voice, so it isn't a voice I recognize." She leans over and looks at the dates I have written on the page.

"You didn't get a date on the 15th."

"I was thinking that it was either delivered to the mansion or the apartment. We are going to both tomorrow so I will be able to check."

"What about today?" She takes the notebook for me and reviews the detail closer.

"I got a call from an unknown number earlier but didn't answer it. I sent it to voice mail." I pick up my phone and tap the screen to play the voice mail message I received today from the unknown caller. I increase the volume so we can both hear it.

_**April 14th**_

She stares at me for several moments before she closes her eyes and shakes her head. "This is so crazy."

"I know."

"What do you think it all means?"

"I have no idea." I sit back and lean my head against the couch.

"Do any of these dates mean anything to you?" She looks back down at the dates.

I shake my head. "The only one that sticks out is June 8th. That was the date of our first official date."

"September 5th was the day after your crazy dream." She keeps her eyes on the paper.

I quickly think back and then nod. "Yes, it was but no one knows about that but you and me, so I don't think that is the reason for that date."

"These have to be significant dates for Marley and Brian, but how would you know that?"

"I wouldn't. I didn't even know the guy existed until this moment."

She finally looks up at me. "There aren't any years tied to these either, so some of these could be from twenty years ago."

"You're right."

"All of this has to be leading up to something but what?"

"I have Tony looking into it. Although, I didn't give him any information on the dates. I didn't think the two were related. But now that I think about it, the first date came on the same day that he came to my office pretending to be Zack's principal."

"This is so insane babe. What the hell?" I shake my head and notice as she stills and brings her eyes quickly over to me. "Babe, that was also the day that Marley threatened me. So, she threatened me on the exact same day that Brian begins sending you random dates."

I grunt and pound both of my fist against my thighs. "This is maddening. Why won't she just leave me the hell alone?" I feel the anger inside me increase.

She places a soothing hand on top of my hand and squeezes it. "Hey." She leans forward and drops the notebook on the coffee table and then turns and wraps her arms around my shoulders. "Let's sleep on it. We will go upstairs and take a nice long shower and then climb into bed. You will call Tony first thing in the morning and tell him about the dates." She rests her head on top of mine. "Then we can go by the apartment to see if you have had anything delivered there. Then finally, we will head to the mansion for our weekend of fun." I hear the smile in her voice. "How does that sound?"

"That sounds absolutely fantastic and just what I need." I angle my head up to see her face. "Thank you beautiful." I pucker my lips for a kiss, and she obliges.

She slides her arms from around me, stands and pulls me up to my feet. She grabs my hand and leads me up the stairs. When we reach the second level, she turns her head in my direction. "There is one thing I would like us to do before we take that shower though."

I close the door once we are inside her bedroom. "And what's that?"

"Let's check in on Zack. Aside from all of this, she is supposed to be coming clean with him. I would like to hear his voice and make sure he is OK." I nod and slide my phone from my pocket. I take a seat next to her on the bed and then click the button to call him. Once the line rings, I put it on speaker and place it between us on the bed.

"Hey dad."

"Hi son. Mercy is here too."

"Hi Cedes."

"Hey Zack. How did the performance go?"

"It went good, don't you think so dad?"

"Yes. You all did outstanding."

"Good, I'm glad. I'm looking forward to seeing you perform next week." We train our eyes on each other's. I can tell she is doing exactly what I am doing, which is listening for any sound of sadness in his voice.

"Me too. How did Ally do?"

She looks away from me for a split second as she smiles. "She did great. The whole band did."

"Good."

Her eyes meet mine again. "OK Zack, I just wanted to say good night and let you know that I missed seeing you tonight."

"Thanks Cedes. Good night to you too."

"Your dad and I will probably check in on you tomorrow if that's OK."

"Sure."

"Good."

I softly clear my throat. "Night son."

"Night dad. Night Cedes."

"Night Zack."

I pick up the phone and disconnect the call as I glance over at her. "Thank you beautiful."

She bumps my shoulder with hers. "Hey, thank you is not necessary. This is all part of the deal. Both of you are stuck with me now."

"Promise."

"Promise." She leans up and places a soft kiss on my lips. "Come on, let's get that shower."

* * *

Settled in bed after our shower, she snuggles close to me as I switch off the lights. Fifteen minutes later, I am still wide awake, the events and findings of the day fresh in my mind. I glance down to see if she is sleeping but her face is hidden from my view. I take a deep breath and try to focus on my breathing, hoping it will help clear my mind. I feel her grip tighten around my waist as she raises her head to look up at me. "We will figure it out baby."

"I hope so."

"We will. Trust me." She leans up and places a chaste kiss on my lips. "Do you think Tony has turned in already?"

I turn my head to look at the clock. "Probably not. I don't think he ever sleeps."

She leans over me and switches on the lights. "Call him now then. Tell him what we know. Give him the dates. You should probably clue him in on what Marley did to me as well. Just tell him everything, whether you think it is related or not."

I sit up and pick up my phone from the nightstand. As I am dialing, Mercy leaves the room. Once the call connects, I start providing every piece of detail that we have. Mercy is back a minute or so later with my notebook. I give him the dates, I give him Brian Dennis' name and his connection to Marley, I tell him about Marley's threats, I even tell him about how we came to learn of Brian. Close to an hour later, we are ending our call. I strangely feel relieved. I still don't have a clue what any of this means but I know that Tony will get to the bottom of it. I look over at her, lying next to me on her side with her eyes drooping. I switch off the lights again and then pull her into my arms. "I'm sorry Mercy."

"What for?"

"For you feeling like I was going to take any of this out on you. I'm going to work on that so that you are never hesitant to tell me anything again."

She nods and smiles. "I love you."

"I love you too." I kiss her temple and rest my head next to hers.


	19. The Worst Possible Way

**I do not own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

Saturday September 19th

Muffled voices pull me from my slumber. I open my eyes and see Mercy exiting the bedroom, tying her plush pink short robe around her waist. It takes me a few seconds to react, but when I do, I sit up and then rush out the door after her. I reach the top of the staircase when I notice her standing with her parents by the slightly ajar front door.

"Sam, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to wake you."

I quickly descend the stairs. "Mrs. Jones, it's quite alright. I'm glad you did, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see you two off." Reaching them, I extend my hand to Mr. Jones first. "Have a safe flight sir."

He winces. "Aw Sam, we've got to find something else for you to call me. Sir is just too formal. You can call me JJ or Pop Jones like Spencer and Alistair do." He gives me a one-armed hug as he shakes my hand.

I nod and smile. "Pop Jones it is."

As he releases me, Mrs. Jones pulls me to her and wraps both of her arms around me. "Ma Jones works for me too. It was great to meet you Sam." She pulls back and smiles. "Tell Zack we said bye and take care of our girls for us."

I nod and wrap an arm around Mercy. "Like my life depends on it. Next time you two are in town, we will stay at my place."

"Sounds good to me." She then directs her attention to Mercy. "Kiss my baby for me." She leans forward and kisses her cheek. "Love you May."

"Love you too Momma. Love you Daddy. Call me when you make it home."

"We will." We watch as they walk to their cab and then get inside. They wave to us as the cab pulls away.

We turn to go back inside the house. "You know, we could have taken them to the airport."

"Believe me, I offered. It's just how they are. If you remember, I'm the same way." She closes and locks the door and then takes my hand. "Come on. Let's go back to bed. It's too early to be up, especially on a Saturday."

* * *

Several hours later, we have a quick breakfast at IHOP and then drive to the apartment. When we get there, I walk over to the row of locked mailboxes while she goes to unlock the front door. I retrieve the mail and then join her in the kitchen. Dropping the mail on the island, I quickly sift through it, throwing out the junk pieces and creating a pile to the side for everything else. I still when one envelope catches my eye. There isn't a return address and it is not addressed like the others that I have received but there is something about it that piques my interest. I place that piece in front of me and then continue through the stack until I've gone through each piece. "Well, it doesn't look like I received a random date here on the 15th so that means it is at the mansion." I look up at her and notice her eyes on the piece of mail I placed in front of me. Then I realize what it is. "This is the letter you wrote me, isn't it?" I smirk at her.

She nods and smiles in return. "Yes, it is."

"Do you want it back?"

"No, I want you to read it."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. Just remember what I said."

I grin at her and then open it. I lower my eyes to the handwritten page and read it to myself.

_Babe,_

_I don't even know how to start this. I miss you Sam and I am so sorry that I haven't been answering your calls and texts. My heart breaks and I am reduced to nothing but tears when you are knocking at my door. But babe, I don't know what to do. Your ex-wife came up to me at Pandillo's and told me that I had to stop talking to you or she would hurt my family. She knows their names and where they live and work. She wants you back and she is going to extreme measures to make it happen. I don't know what else to do babe. She told me that she is spying on my phone and I am convinced she has someone watching my house. I've wanted to reach out to you to let you know what was going on and couldn't go the usual routes but your text today gave me the idea to write you this letter. I never thought of it. Surely she isn't able to monitor the mail I send. Right? Maybe I'm being a coward, but I just can't risk it. _

_But babe, in case something does happen to me, I need you to know that I love you. I was actually planning to tell you last week after our lunch. And even if I never see you again, I will always love you Sam. I will love you until I take my last breath. I just regret not telling you before now. I can even pinpoint the moment I knew I was falling in love with you. It happened at band camp. Right after I met Zack and you met Ally. Spencer was being Spencer and you were getting worked up behind his antics. I could sense it and my hand could feel it. You looked at me and I gave you an air kiss. Then you smiled, __that__ smile. You don't do it as much as I'd like but when you do, it just does something to me. Even picturing it now has my stomach full of butterflies. It's etched in my memory, so I will always see that smile when I think of you._

_I guess that's all I needed to say. In case I'm never able to see or talk to you again, please take care of you and Zack and know that these last three months with you babe have been some of the happiest of my life. Thank you for that._

_I love you._

_Your Mercy_

I look up at her when I finish reading. Her eyes are trained on me. I walk around the island, lift her and sit her on top of it. "You know I was going to tell you that day too." I rub my hands up and down her thighs.

"Well, just remember who said it first."

"I'll do that. You just remember who said it best." I wink at her as she smiles. "And what is this smile you are talking about?"

"I'll never tell you. It will be my little secret."

"I'll figure it out."

"Sure you will."

"Is it this one?" I give her a smile and she shakes her head. "Or this one?" I raise an eyebrow, cock my head to one-side and grin showing just my top teeth. She shakes her head and laughs. "This one?" I smile without showing any teeth, she closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Or this one?" I show her all my pearly whites.

She laughs louder. "Stop it. You look like a mad man."

"Maybe, but I'm your mad man." I pull her off the island and set her feet on the floor. "I swear I hate when you wear jeans." I unbutton them quickly and tug them, and her panties, down and off. I grab the hem of her shirt and lift it up and off, throwing it behind me. I make quick work of her bra and she allows it to fall to the floor. I back her up against the wall between the kitchen and the living room. "I want you against this wall, right now." She nods slightly and I quickly turn her around, pressing her body between the wall and my front. Unbuttoning my pants, I lick and nibble on her ear as I kick off my shoes. I trail soft kisses against her upper back as my pants fall to the floor. I step out of the pool of denim at my feet, kicking it out of the way. I hook an arm around her waist and pull her back against me. "Hands against the wall beautiful." She bends forward and presses both hands against the wall. I kneel and dip my tongue inside her, getting her ready for me. She moans, wiggles a bit and widens her stance. Sliding my tongue out, I flatten it against her and then place a loud kiss against her ass as I stand. I stroke my member quickly and tease her entrance with the tip, once, then again, before I slam into her. She squeals and I grip her hips. "Hold on baby." I withdraw and slam into her again. And then again, and then I move my hands up to her waist, and slowly build a rhythm. The sound of my skin slapping against hers is drowned out only by her whimpers and moans. I remove one hand from her waist and lower it to her clit. The moment I begin rubbing it, I feel her clenching around me. I slow my movements to prolong my own climax and finish her off. I thrust gently into her until I feel only soft flutters. I slide out and turn her around to face me, immediately attaching my lips to hers. I wrap my arms around her and move backwards, pulling her with me, until we reach the couch. Releasing her lips, I settle her down onto the couch beneath me and then move my mouth back to hers. I nudge her legs apart with my knee and slide into her. Our bodies meld together as I thrust deeper and deeper into her. I feel her fingernails dig into my back as her legs wrap around my waist. I slide my hands under her to cradle her ass and bury my mouth against her neck. She moans softly into my ear. I lift my head and rest my forehead against hers. We lock eyes and I circle my hips as I feel my balls begin to tighten.

"Cum again for me baby."

"Only for you."

Her words are my undoing. "Fuck Mercy. Aaaaaaaah!" I still and feel my seed spurting into her as she rapidly grips me with her inner walls. "Oh baby. Mmmmm." I collapse on top of her and bury my head against her neck.

She caresses my back and I feel her body shake as she giggles. I raise my head and grin at her. "What's so funny?"

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were trying to knock me up."

"Would that be the worst thing in the world?"

"Actually, no it wouldn't, but I have to tell you, I'm not sure you will be able to right now."

"You're on the pill."

"No, I have an IUD."

"Take it out." Even to my own ears, it sounded like a whine.

She chuckles. "Listen at you."

"Seriously, you should just have it removed baby."

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Duh, cause I want to knock you up."

"Oh, no mister. There will be no babies in this womb until I see a ring on this finger." She holds up her left hand and wiggles her ring finger.

"Aw man, you mean I have to marry you?" As soon as I say it, I jump off her.

She's up in a flash and chasing me around the couch. "Oh, you're going to get it!"

"What? What did I say wrong?" I innocently shrug my shoulders, taunting her with a smirk as I sprint into the kitchen and stand at the far side of the island.

She comes up to the other side of the island and tries her hardest to give me her angriest glare. Failing miserably, she just giggles. "You're lucky I love you."

I lock eyes with her and hold her gaze. "Yes I am." I grab her hand and walk around the island to where she is standing. I link my fingers with hers as she turns and throws her head back to look up at me. I move her hand with mine as I wrap it around her waist. I lower my mouth to hers and make sure to convey in the kiss that I would marry her in a heartbeat. I release her hand and move both of mine to cradle her face. As the kiss slows, I let my right-hand trail down from her cheek to her neck. I splay my fingers against it as I lick her bottom lip before our connection breaks. I rest my forehead against hers as we lock our gazes on each other. "Come on, let's shower and then get to the mansion." I kiss the tip of her nose as she smiles and nods. Taking her hand again, we turn to go toward my bedroom but are stopped by a knock on the door.

"Just a minute." She darts off with a giggle and I grab my jeans. I pull them on and up and then slide my polo shirt over my head. I button my jeans as I open the door. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Delivery for Sam Evans."

"I'm Sam Evans.

"Sign here, please." I sign and he hands a familiar envelope over to me. "There you go. Have a good day."

"Thank you. You too." I close the door and drop the envelope on the coffee table as I make my way back to my bedroom.

"Who was it?"

"Delivery man with today's date."

"What was the date?"

"I'll open it after our shower. Come on."

* * *

After we have showered and dressed, I pick up the envelope to reveal today's date. It's the usual white envelope with 'Personal & Confidential' stamp on the bottom edge in red. I open the envelope and take out the piece of paper folded and tucked inside to see August 11th written with the word GOD next to it. I hand it over to Mercy, who glances at it and then over at me. "What does God have to do with any of this?"

I just shake my head. "Who knows beautiful. What I do know is that I am so over this craziness." She hands the paper back to me and I fold it and place it back inside the envelope. "Come on let's get going."

While on our way to the mansion, we decide to call and check in with Zack.

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Zack. How are you doing today?"

"I'm good. Is Cedes still with you?"

"I am. Hi Zack."

"Hey Cedes. What are you two up to?"

I snicker as she glances over at me with narrowed eyes. "We are on our way to your house now. We just left the apartment. Your dad had to check the mail. You doing anything fun today?"

"We are headed to the mall in a few minutes."

"Well that sounds fun. What are you going to buy?"

"A couple of video games and some shoes."

I knew he was going to say that. "I think you have enough of both of those."

"Nonsense. You can never have enough shoes." Great, now there are two of them.

"Thank you Cedes. See dad?"

"Nevermind that. Just don't go overboard Zack."

"OK."

"Have a good time today. Call if you need anything."

"I will. Bye dad, bye Cedes."

"Bye Zack."

"See ya son."

I disconnect the call as I shake my head. "You shouldn't encourage him like that. He's got enough shoes and for the record, you do too."

"That's where you are wrong my dear because shoes are my weakness. And like I said you can never have enough. Plus, I've got my eye on a pair of black patent leather, red bottom, peep toe Christian Louboutins with a five-inch stiletto heel. I would happily wear nothing but these particular shoes for the rest of my life. And mark my words, when I get them, you will be singing a different tune about me having enough shoes. They are that fierce!"

"If you say so."

"I know so."

I turn my nose up as I think about her words. What's so special about a pair of shoes? You've seen one pair, you've seen them all. And stilettos look like they are the most uncomfortable thing a woman could ever wear. I dart my eyes over to her and see that she is typing away on her phone. I direct my eyes back to the road with an exasperated look on my face. I move my lips as I mimic what she said and then replay her words in my head. '_I would happily wear nothing but these particular shoes for the rest of my life._' Wait a minute. Nothing but the shoes, that's what she said. Why didn't I zero in on that when she said it? My mind immediately begins to imagine her greeting me after work wearing nothing but a pair of stilettos. Or her coming to my office wearing only a trench coat and pair of stilettos. I feel the smile spread across my face as I picture her wearing only a pair of stilettos during our time against the wall at my apartment a short time ago. What kind of shoes did she say again? Christian Louboutins? Black patent leather, that I remember, but the rest not so much. Dammit, I should have been listening closer. I bet her ass would look even more delectable in those shoes.

Her voice pulls me out of my fantasy. "Mom and dad made it home."

"That's good to hear." I clear my throat and glance over at her with a wicked smirk. "So, about those shoes…"

* * *

I pull into the circular driveway in front of the mansion. Exiting the truck, she goes to the backseat and notices that her bag is not there. "Hey, did you put my bag in the trunk?"

"No."

"Where is it?"

"At your house."

"Sam. I have to have clothes."

"I told you, clothing was optional."

"What about tomorrow?"

"We can wash what you are wearing now." I take my briefcase out of the backseat and close the door.

"I swear you are impossible."

"I swear I know. Come on." I take her hand and lead her up the stairs to the front door. After opening it, she enters and I follow, locking the door behind us. My eyes zero in on her ass as usual. She turns and smiles at me. I bet she felt me leering at her. I just smile, clear my throat and place my briefcase on the floor. "First things first. I need to check my office for an envelope." I go into my office and see the familiar envelope on the desk with a note on top from Ms. Percy, letting me know that it was delivered on the 15th. Mercy has approached the desk with my briefcase in hand. I hand the note over to her. I then open the envelope and pull out the piece of paper inside. "October 6th." I look over and see she already has the notebook out of my briefcase and is writing the date next to 9/15. "So that's a date every day since 9/9."

She nods and scans the page. "And here's something else I just noticed. There's a date listed here for every month except for the month of May. I wonder if that means something."

I think for a split second, shake my head and then walk around my desk and toward the door. "Like I said earlier, I'm over it. I'm not wasting anymore time trying to figure out what these random dates mean. Whenever they want me to know what it is that these dates are supposed to mean, he or she will tell me. Otherwise, I'll just keep writing them down and going on about my day." I reach the doorway into my office. Now that I've gotten the missing date, I'm ready to get back to our weekend activities. I lean against the doorway and cross my arms as my eyes scan her from head to toe.

She nods and drops the notebook back into my briefcase. She turns to look at me and narrows her eyes when she notices my gaze.

I lick my lips and then smirk. "Enough about those dates. It's time to get back to business. So, our first surface is the pool. Ever had sex in a pool?" She shakes her head slowly as she tries to hide her smile by biting down on her lip. "Looks like it's time to change that. You game?" I raise an eyebrow and hold my hand out to her. She nods slowly as she takes my hand and I lead her to the indoor pool. Today is going to be one that I will never, ever forget.

* * *

Out of the shower after our fun in the pool, I grab one of my Purdue t-shirts out of the bottom drawer of my dresser and toss it over to her. I smirk at her as she slips into it. I pull on a pair of basketball shorts and then pull her mouth to mine, palming her ass. "Let's go make something to eat." I turn her so her back is flush against my front and then we walk out of the bedroom. Resting my chin on the top of her head, we walk down the hall toward the landing at the top of the stairs. "We need to do that again soon, and as much as possible."

"You mean the pool or the shower?"

"Both, but especially the pool."

I hear the smile in her voice. "I agree."

"Just know that our next round won't be so tame."

"And what does that mean exactly?"

"My promise. And there are a hell of a lot of surfaces in this house." I swat her ass as we begin walking down the stairs. Once we reach the kitchen, I lift her and sit her on the island. "So, I was thinking we could have BLT's now and lasagna tonight. Tomorrow, I was hoping that you and Ally could join me and Zack for dinner. The staff will be back by noon and Ms. Percy has promised to make one of my favorites – pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and dinner rolls."

"Yes, yes, sure and definitely yes. Pot roast is one of my favorites too. So, what other dishes did Ms. Percy make for us this weekend?"

"Ha ha. Yes I know but she spoils us. We have breakfast pizza for tomorrow morning and then chicken salad for lunch." I approach her, stand between her parted knees as I rub my hands up and down her exposed thighs. A wicked smile spreads across my lips as I look at her. "You know." I knock my fist against the island. "Surface."

She grins back at me, wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer as she kisses me softly on the lips. "Oh, alright. But then food."

"Don't move." I pull the string on my basketball shorts, allowing them to fall to the ground and then I hop onto the island next to her. I'm already rock hard in anticipation of being back inside her. I pull her over to straddle me. She slides easily onto my erection and I hiss at the feel of her. I pull the shirt up and off her and then attach my lips to a nipple as she begins rocking her hips. My hands rest on her ass as I squeeze and massage the flesh helping to guide her movements. She begins bouncing on me rapidly and my head starts to spin. "Oh baby, fuck yes. Don't stop. Yes baby. Fuck your man." I bite down gently on her nipple and she screams out as she bucks her body faster and harder.

"Rub my clit baby." I take two fingers to her clit and rub frantically. "Yes Sam, yes baby. I'm gonna cum. I'm gonna cum baby. Yes. Yes. Oooooooooooh!"

I flip us over and cradle her thighs against my hips with my forearms. "I believe the promise was that _I_ would fuck _you_ against every possible surface. Not the other way around. Now hold on baby." I pound into her over and over as her moans and screams fill the kitchen. Her breasts bounce to the hard rhythm of my thrusts. I continue pounding into her until I feel her walls begin to clench around me again and I feel that familiar tightening in my balls. I strum my fingers against her clit to prolong her release and allow my climax to overtake me. "Aaarrrrrrrrrrgggggh. Shit. Mmm. Dammit baby. So fucking good." I lean down and capture her lips with mine. Once our breathing is back to normal, I pull her up and off the island, and then I pull my shorts back on as she shrugs back into my shirt. She goes over to the sink and opens one of the doors underneath. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for disinfectant. I want to clean our love juices off the island."

"Love juices. I like that." She grabs the bottle and sprays the island. "You do that while I get our lunch together. I figure we can eat our food and then I can have you again at the table." I palm and swat her ass, causing her to yelp as she begins wiping off the island. When she is done, she goes into the bathroom and I finish making our sandwiches.

Seated side-by-side at the kitchen table finishing up our sandwiches, I glance over at her with sad eyes. "I'm going to be sad when you leave Sunday night." I feel my bottom lip poke out.

"I will be too, but we will see each other through the week and then we can get together on the weekend with the kids." She takes a sip from her glass.

"Yeah, I know but it won't be the same. I won't get to sex you up the way I want to with Zack and Ally here." I take a drink from my glass and then grin at her. "On second thought, I could tie you to the bed and cover your mouth with something."

She chuckles and shakes her head. "You're kinda perverted, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know but you kinda like it." I wink at her.

She grins back. "I kinda do."

I pop the last of my sandwich into my mouth. As I am chewing, I decide I am going to ask her the one thing that has been in my head since we reconciled a few days ago. I swallow the food in my mouth and then take a quick sip from my glass. "Baby, can I say something without you freaking out on me?"

"Depends on what it is." She turns her head and looks at me over the rim of her drinking glass.

"Nevermind." I look down and focus on my empty plate. Maybe I should wait a little longer.

She sets her glass on the table. "No, say it. I will try not to freak out about it but I'm going in blind here."

I look over at her, nod and take a deep breath. "OK. I know it's only been three months, but I don't want you away from me. When I'm not working, and you are not around me do you know what I am doing? I'm re-reading our text messages from clear back to June or looking at all your pictures." I grab her hand. "I figure it's either that or have you on the phone the entire time and I don't think you would appreciate that. I just need twenty-four seven you. That week that you stayed away from me because of the shit that my ex tried, was the worst week of my life. And I know we've sort of broached this subject before, and I know it's really quick, but how would you feel about you and Ally moving in with us?"

She studies me for a few seconds. "How do I feel about it? It doesn't scare me, and I do see that in our future but you are right, it's way too quick. School just started and I don't want to take Ally out of Donaldson Academy. She loves it there."

"I could have Tony take her to school everyday baby, that wouldn't be a problem."

"What about her dad? Will there be an issue with him picking her up or dropping her off here from time to time?"

"None whatsoever. I like Spencer and I think he likes me as well. We came to an understanding a while ago about his hands being on you all the time."

"Well, how does Zack feel about this? Does he know you were going to ask me?"

"No, he doesn't know. I didn't have any intention of asking you this soon, but I am positive Zack would be over the moon about this. He adores you baby. His and Ally's friendship could blossom. I think they would get a kick out of having each other around more."

"Yeah, I think you're right." She shakes her head and then scans my face. "Honestly Sam, I don't foresee any other issues with it. But babe, it is just too soon to do that. Don't get me wrong, I would love for us to live here with you and Zack and when the time comes, I will definitely talk to Ally to see how she feels about it. Just give it some more time." She stands, collects our dishes and moves to take them to the sink.

"How much time?"

She stops at the island, turns to face me and then leans back against it. "How does three more months sound? A week before Christmas. If all goes well with us and you still want us to live with you-"

"Which I will."

"Then we will move in a week before Christmas and spend our first Christmas together in this house."

"You know, it would sound better if you'd say we could spend our first Christmas together in this house _as a family._"

"What?"

"You heard me. I am going to marry you woman and if I had my way, we would be married before Christmas."

"You are completely crazy, you know that right?"

"A – yes I am crazy, crazy about you. B – when I told you that you were it for me, I meant it. C – I would marry you right now if you would agree because D – I'm ready to start working on a brother or sister for Zack and Ally."

"Wait a minute, just wait a minute." She sits the dishes on the island. "So, if I had said yes to moving in right now, you would want to get married right away and then you would want us pregnant before the holiday?"

"Mmm sounds fantastic doesn't it?"

"Oh my goodness. Doesn't that sound a bit fast to you?" Her eyes scan mine. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"About marrying you as soon as possible, for a week maybe. When you stopped talking to me my thoughts would go to the future I thought I had lost. I was seriously contemplating showing up at your door, dropping to one knee and asking you through the door."

"So you are doing all of this because you don't want to lose me?"

I stand and walk over to her. "No, let me finish. I've been thinking about a future with you since our first night in Florida. The 'asking you to marry me' timeframe was accelerated because I was afraid I lost you last week. My initial plan was to propose to you on Christmas, and then get married on the one-year anniversary of our meeting. I thought that would have been an acceptable amount of time for an engagement, so that's the only reason for that timeframe. When we had our night cap in my room that first night, I kid you not, I knew that I wanted you to be my wife. But when everything happened last week, that's all the motivation I needed to fast track my plans."

"Wow, you have it all planned out, don't you? Do I get any say in any of this?"

"Of course you do baby."

"OK, then I honestly think that we should get married before we move in together. I don't want to send the wrong message to the kids. Which means there will be no shacking up." She picks the dishes up again and then continues on to the sink.

"Wait – what did you say?"

She turns as she reaches the sink and smiles at me. "I said we should get married before we move in together."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good, you do that." She turns and finally places them in the sink. "Now enough talk. I'm ready for another round." She saunters toward me with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"You're a bossy little thing, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I'm your bossy little thing."

"Mmmm, yes you are. I love you." When she is within my grasp, I pull her back over toward the table. "Lose the shirt."

"Done. Now you, lose the shorts." I pull at the string, but she stops me. "On second thought, allow me."

She kisses me deeply and then pulls my bottom lip into her mouth as she slides her hands inside the waistband of my shorts. She releases my lip and then trails her tongue down the center of my chest, stopping to lick and suck on each of my nipples before continuing her journey down. She reaches my navel and toys with it while her hands push my shorts down to my feet. She nudges me back and I rest on the edge of the kitchen table. She moves down and settles herself into a squat and then draws me into her mouth. She keeps her eyes trained on me, with her hands resting on my thighs, and she begins to work me into a frenzy. I watch as she draws more and more of my shaft into her mouth. She lifts her hands and begins to stroke me while twisting both hands around me and licking the tip. My head falls back, and I grip the edge of the table as I continue to deny my release. I want to be inside her, but she has other ideas. I lift my head just in time to see my entire length disappear between her lips. "Ah!" She slowly slides me out of her mouth and before she can say or do anything, I grab her and bend her over the table. "This is going to be quick." I'm buried and pounding into her in a split second. I lower my chest onto her back and continue thrusting until I feel her coming undone beneath me. I quickly slide out of her and flip her over. She wraps her legs around me as I hold her waist and enter her, setting the same pace as before. Within seconds, we are both succumbing to our releases as I lean down and place soft kisses all over her face. I have an instant urge to hold on to her as tight as I can and never let go. She can't leave me. She just can't. I rest my forearms on the table, enclosing her head between them and gaze into her eyes. "Mercy you can't leave me again baby. I don't want to be away from you. I want you and Ally to move in with us now."

"Sam, we just talked about this. We can stay with you Sunday night but eventually we are going to have to go home."

"That's just it. I want this to be your home now."

"Babe, I need to talk with Ally first. Can you give me a couple of days to do that?"

"Yes baby of course. But you are going to stay Sunday night, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't bug you about it again until Monday."

"OK." She lifts her head and gives me a soft lingering kiss which causes my cock to twitch. I'm still inside her and semi-hard but her kiss reignites me. I deepen the kiss by snaking my tongue into her mouth. She moans, wraps her lips around my tongue and begins to suck on it feverishly. A moan escapes her and my hips thrust involuntarily. I feel her hands fist in my hair. I'm going to take her again, but I want to change our location.

I pull away from our kiss and gaze into her eyes. "I want to show you something."

"What?"

I lean down and kiss her lips quickly. "Just humor me." I chuckle softly, slide out of her haven and then take her hand in mine. I lead her to my office and flip on the lights. "So, this is my office."

She looks at me like I've lost my mind. "O-K."

"And that there is my desk."

I see her still for a nanosecond." Then she sharply turns her head and looks at me with a wicked grin and low seductive eyes. "Nice desk."

"It is. I've always liked this desk but for the last couple of months I've come to realize that there is something missing."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You. Naked. Legs spread waiting for me."

I stand in the doorway stroking my cock as I watch her saunter over to my desk. She turns and hikes herself onto the desk and then rests back on the palms of her hands. She brings both legs up onto the desk and plants the soles of her feet generously apart against the edge. She cocks her head to one side and smiles. "Done." I lick my lips and move toward her.

* * *

A couple of hours and another shower later, we are cuddled on the couch in the den watching college football when a chime sounds from her phone. She picks it up and glances at the screen. "It's Ally checking in." I nod and tune back to the television as she finishes up. She places her phone back on the side table and leans back against me.

I kiss the side of her head. "You about ready to eat?"

She hesitates. "You are talking about dinner, right? The lasagna?"

I chuckle. "Yes. I can without a doubt say I am talking about food. I'm hungry. You wore me out woman!"

"Then yes. Let's eat." She sits up as I stand and then I pull her to her feet. She's in my Purdue t-shirt again and I am wearing a pair of black boxer briefs. Just as we move to go into the kitchen, my phone rings. I glance over and see that it is Zack. I tap the screen to connect the call and then put him on the speaker.

"Hey Son."

"Was it mom?" His voice is hushed and hurried.

I still and glance over at Mercy. "Was what mom?"

"The person who threatened Cedes."

_Shit, she hasn't told him yet. _"Zack."

"Please just tell me dad."

"Where is your mother?" My eyes stay trained on Mercy's.

"She went somewhere with Auntie Joyce." He takes a deep breath and then begins sobbing. "It was her! I know it was. Why else would she have this folder full of pictures of Cedes and Ally. Why didn't you tell me dad? You should have told me it was her. I cannot believe she did this!" His sobs grow louder and becomes staggered. After a few moments, it starts to sound as if he can't catch his breath.

I raise my voice to get his attention. "Zack! Zack listen, I'm on my way! I'll be there as quickly as I can!"

"Why…would…she…do…this…to…Cedes?" Every word has a quick, shallow breath after it. "Cedes…hates…me…doesn't she?"

"NO! Zack you stop that. I don't hate you. This is not your fault. Please don't blame any of this on yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

My heart stops as I hear him wailing. "Oh, Cedes…I'm so…sorry."

"Sssh. Zack calm down baby." She darts into the laundry room. She is back in a flash, buttoning her jeans and holding mine out to me, along with a plain white t-shirt. "Sam we've got to go now. He's going to hyperventilate." She takes the phone from me while I get dressed. "Zack. Zack. Listen to me Zack. I need you to focus on my voice and what I am saying. Do you hear me?"

"Yes." His breathing seems a bit deeper but still not what I want to hear.

"OK, I need you to take a deep breath in, and hold it for ten seconds. Can you do that for me?" I motion for her to come on and she hurries behind me as we jump into the truck.

"OK."

"OK, take a deep breath and I will count for you. Go. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, now exhale slowly. Good, good. Do it again for me." I'm on the interstate in no time as she continues to get him to stay focused on this breathing. "Good. Your dad and I are on our way to you now, do you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you." His voice wavers and then he cries out. "Cedes…I am…so sorry,"

"None of this is your fault Zack. We thought it would be better for your mother to tell you. That is the only reason we didn't."

"Does Ally know?" She glances over at me and I nod.

"Yes, she does." He cries out again. "No, no. Listen to me. Focus on your breathing and just listen to me." She pauses for a moment. "Zack, can you hear me?"

He answers her through his sobs. "Yeah."

"Have Ally or I treated you any differently since your father and I reconciled?"

"No."

"So, what does that tell you?"

"That you don't blame me." I glance over at her and we both nod but then he starts up again. "But…how…can…you…not? She's my…mother."

"Because we don't. Zack, you can't control what anyone else does. You can only control what you do." I hear him take a breath like he was about to say something, but then there is a noise I cannot make out in the background. I ready to ask him what it was, but still when I hear Marley's voice.

"_What are you doing with that? Give it to me!"_

"How…could…you…do…this…mom?" His sobs are taking over again.

"_You are too young to understand. Who are you talking to? Hang up the phone Zachary."_

"No!" His response boomed out over the phone and it made both me and Mercy jump.

"_I said hang-"_

The call disconnects and Mercy panics. "Sam, you've got to hurry. Please hurry."

"Try to get him on the line again." She taps his number in the call log, but the call goes straight to his voice mail.

"Oh no!" I hear the emotion in her voice.

I reach over and squeeze her hand. "We're almost there." My heartbeat races as I press down on the accelerator.

When we reach her house, I see Zack's bags on the porch. "I'm going to stay in the car." I nod at her and peck her lips as I dart out of the truck and sprint up the walkway to the front porch. I pound on the front door until it swings open and she pushes pass me to pick up his bags. "He's changed his mind. He's going to stay."

I frown and narrow my eyes at her. "I'd like to hear him tell me that."

"Too bad. We don't always get what we want."

She tries to close the door in my face, but I block it and hold it open with my forearm. "I guess you didn't hear me. I'd like to hear that from him." I narrow my eyes at her again. "Or, I'll contact the police to do a wellness check on my son. Your choice. Either way, I'm not leaving until I hear from him that he is staying."

In the midst of our stare down, Zack appears with a red flushed face and snatches his bags from her hand. "Why did you bring these back in here?"

"Because you aren't going anywhere. This is my weekend."

"I told you I'm not staying here one more minute. I can't believe you did that mom. I want nothing to do with you anymore. I hate you!" When he says it, his voice wavers and then tears rush down his cheeks. "Cedes is the sweetest person I know. Her and Ally. And what you did…It's not OK."

"Zachary, you don't mean that!"

"Yes, I do. I have nothing else to say to you. Dad doesn't want to be with you! Get over it!"

"Zachary, you listen to me and stop acting like a spoiled brat." He crosses his arms as he stares over at her. "I'm your mother and you will respect me. You cannot talk to me like that." She has one finger pointed at him and one hand on her hip. "Now, you are going to apologize to me, right now, and then you will tell your father that you are staying here for the rest of the weekend."

He shakes his head and yells at her. "I won't, and I'm leaving. And I won't be back!"

He takes off toward my truck as she yells out after him. "Zachary, you get back here. Zachary!" I watch as he climbs into the truck. I then turn my eyes back to her as she drops to her knees. "Zachary, please. You can't leave me too." My mind races a bit when she says it. _You can't leave me too._ Is this some clue as to what's been going on the last few weeks? I watch as she lowers her head, and then after a few seconds, I hear her sniffles.

Feeling somewhat sorry for her, I try to help her to her feet. "Just give him time to calm down."

She angrily pushes my hands away from her. "This is all your fault! You and your Mercy. You've turned my son against me!"

I scoff at her words and glare down at the grimace on her face. "Oh please. You have no one to blame but yourself for this." I quickly shake my head and re-focus on trying to sympathize with her. "Look, just let him calm down. I'm sure he will reach out to you in a few days."

"That's it? You're not going to make him come back and apologize for what he said to me?"

"Are you going to apologize to him?"

"Apologize to him for what? He's a child. He needs to stay in a child's place. He had no right going through my things. I've done nothing wrong."

I stare at her incredulously for a few seconds and then shake my head. "Goodbye Marley."

"So you are just going to walk away too?" I walk down the steps and back to my truck. "Sam!?" When I reach the driver side door, I open it and throw one last look at her and see her still on her knees and yelling my name. "Sam?"

Once I am settled in my seat, I look in the rearview mirror and see Mercy in the backseat with her arm around his shoulder. He is sobbing and has his head resting on her shoulder. She locks eyes with me and then shakes her head. My eyes dart to her fingers slowly stroking his chest. _She's got him. _I look back at her and nod and then turn and start the engine.

* * *

The majority of the drive back to the mansion is quiet. The only sound inside the car is that of Zack's sniffles. Each time he does, a little piece of my heart breaks. I want so bad to tell him that it will be alright, but I know he doesn't want to hear that now. I glance in the rearview mirror to see him still resting against her and her still tending to him. It makes the love I have for her deepen. My eyes train on hers through the mirror and I wink. A small smile graces her lips in return. Then out of nowhere Zack clears his throat. "Cedes, you are such an awesome person. Please just let me say that I am sorry for what that woman did to you."

"Thank you Zack. I think you are pretty amazing yourself and I will accept the apology on your **mother's **behalf, but only because you are apologizing for her, not because of something you think you did."

"I just still can't believe it."

"I know." She pauses and then continues. "Can I ask you to promise me something?"

"What?"

"I want you to promise me that you are not going to blame this on yourself. You didn't do anything. I also want to make it clear that you are stuck with me and Ally. I won't speak for Ally, but I want you to know this. Look at me." I glance into the rearview mirror just in time to see her lifting his chin to look at her. "I love you Zack." She kisses his cheek and then his forehead. "I love you, and none of this changes that fact. OK?"

The smile he gives her melts my heart. "OK." He clears his throat. "And I love you too Cedes. I've wanted to say that for so long." I smile as I focus my eyes back on the road.

"Well why didn't you?"

"I was scared that it would make things weird if you didn't feel the same way. I mean, I also didn't want to say it if you and dad weren't saying it to each other too."

"Well, a little news for you. Your dad and I admitted our love for each other yesterday."

"You did?"

I glance into the rearview mirror again. "We did son."

"And, I think your father will confirm, that I told him that I loved **you,** BEFORE I told him I loved him." She would have to point that out, wouldn't she?

"Really?"

She meets my eyes. "Sam?"

I look back at the road. "What?"

"Did she dad?"

"Sam!"

I exhale. "OK, OK. For the purpose of this conversation, yes, she said she loved you before she said she loved me, however, when I tell the story in the future to anyone else, it will be the other way around. That's the best I can do."

Zack cackles, leaning his body away from her and against the backseat passenger side door. My heart soars when I hear him, and a huge smile stretches across my face. I look up at her in the rearview mirror again as she giggles. I wink again and she blows me a kiss.

The mood in the truck is much lighter when I pull into the garage. "Watch this Cedes. It's so cool." He hurries out of the truck and to the inside door leading into the kitchen. Cedes follows him and once he is sure she has his attention, he places his hand on the panel next to the door. The screen panel flashes green and the door clicks and then opens.

"That is pretty cool."

"We have to get yours and Ally's handprints programmed too. I can't wait to show this to Ally." He walks in and she follows behind him.

I close the door behind us. "You can show her tomorrow. She and Mercy are having dinner and staying the night with us."

He excitedly nods his head. "OK."

"Have you eaten son?"

"No. I was going to go fix a sandwich now."

"No need. Ms. Percy made lasagna. I just have to re-heat it."

"OK. I'm going to go take a shower then. I'll be back in a bit." He pecks Mercy on the cheek and taps my shoulder as he exits the kitchen.

About a half an hour later, we are seated at the kitchen table enjoying our lasagna. His mood is so different than just an hour ago, but I know we need to have a conversation. I take a sip of water and then clear my throat. "Is there anything you want to ask us about what your mother did?"

He places his fork on his plate and turns his attention to me. "I guess I just want to know why you told Ally before you told me?"

"Well, she actually figured it out."

"How?"

"Zack, do you know where your mother works?"

"She told me she was working for Grandpa Rose."

"No, she works in the cafeteria at Donaldson."

It hits him immediately. "She works at Ally's school?!"

"Yes. And apparently, she spends a lot of time watching Ally."

"You have to get her fired dad."

"Hold on Zack. She's not done anything that would warrant her losing her job."

"She's spying on her. Isn't that against the law?"

"It's complicated son."

"But if she is making Ally uncomfortable, can't we do something?" Zack quickly glances at Mercy and then back at me.

"I'm sure we could, and we probably should. Let's talk with Ally when she gets here tomorrow to get her feelings about it."

Mercy places her fork down as her eyes bounce between me and Zack. "I'm way ahead of both of you. I've already got an appointment scheduled with Mrs. Griffin at Donaldson for Tuesday morning. She's the counselor for the freshman class. But I do think we should all sit down and talk about it together when she gets here tomorrow." She lifts her glass to her lips.

"OK."

I nod at her and then look at him again. "Anything else you want to ask?"

"Why did she do it?"

Mercy answers this one. "The only reason she gave me was because she wanted your father back. She wanted the three of you to be a family again."

He hesitates and lowers his eyes. "I've always wanted that too, but not like this."

"Son, I can understand you wanting your mother and I together again, but we've talked about this before. It just wouldn't work."

"Yeah I know." He nods.

"But you know, if your father told me that he wanted to try things again with your mother, I would walk away." She darts her eyes to me quickly and then looks at Zack.

"You would?" He leans forward in surprise. I'm quite surprised at that revelation myself.

She nods as her eyes dart to mine again. "Yes. It would be extremely hard but at the end of the day, if he wanted it, I would do it."

Zack shakes his head. "But I wouldn't want you to leave us."

She grabs his hand. "And I wouldn't want to leave you guys either, but if Sam wanted to be with someone else, anyone else, I wouldn't stand in the way of that. If I stayed with him, then I would be with someone who didn't want to be with me, and I would always worry and wonder what he was doing when he wasn't with me. That isn't the way I want to live my life." She looks over at me. "And for your dad, he may end up being with this person anyway, behind my back." I know she is just trying to make a point but please make it and let's move on. I don't like the sound of any of this. She looks away from me and back at him. "Listen, I am not saying that your dad would do that. I'm just saying that no one can control who they fall in love with, and if your father told me that he was in love with or wanted to be with someone else, I would let him go."

I have to keep reminding myself that she is just trying to make a point. "You wouldn't even fight to keep us together?" I know my voice conveyed the anger I'm beginning to feel.

She turns her eyes back to me and cocks her head to one side. "Love isn't a competition Sam. The heart wants what it wants. We aren't married so it doesn't make sense to hang on if your interest has moved on to another woman. Now, if we were married, I would want us to try to work it out because we made vows to do just that, but in the end, I would want you to be happy. And if being with someone else would make you happy, then I would have to accept that and let go."

My eyes stay locked on hers as I count to ten in my head. "I don't like where this conversation has taken us."

"I didn't mean to make it so heavy. I just wanted to get my point across to Zack." She offers me a smile.

He slowly nods. "Yeah, I guess I get it."

After studying her for a few minutes, I feel myself calming down. "OK, enough talk about that. And just so it is clear, Sam loves Mercy."

"You are so lame dad." He snickers.

"Maybe, but she loves me, don't you?" I purse my lips and smile at her.

She bites down on her lip. "Can I plead the fifth?"

All humor drains from my face. "That is so not funny."

"Just a little pay back my dear. But yes, I love you." She giggles and throws her head back.

That's all I needed to hear. Triumphantly, I look over at him with a wide smile. "See, I told you."

Zack shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "You're still lame dad."

* * *

After saying good night to Zack, she and I are getting settled into bed. I'm lying on my side facing her as her fingertips lightly stroke my bicep. "I want to thank you for today Mercy. For the way you tended to Zack, and how you got him to calm down, and how you held him while he was a mess. It means everything to me that you love and care for him as much as you do. Thank you beautiful, from the bottom of my heart." I lean over and softly kiss her lips. "Thank you."

"I told you that you don't have to thank me babe, but you're welcome. We are in this together. You and me. And you would have done the same for Ally without question. I know it."

I nod and then rest my forehead against hers. "Well Miss Lady, you have drained me in every possible way today. So tonight, if it's OK with you, I just want to hold you close to my heart." I turn over so that I am lying on my back.

"I'd like that." She snuggles closer to me and rests her head against my chest.

"I love you Mercy."

She glances up and smiles at me. "I love you too Sam."


	20. Preparing For A Showdown

**I am so very sorry for the long hiatus. I had two immediate family members that tested positive for COVID-19 and have been doing my best to do what I can for them and while keeping myself healthy. To say the least, my worries, fears, concentration and focus have been all over the place for the last couple of weeks, but I am happy to report that they are recovering and should both be released from the hospital soon.**

**Kiss – Prince**

**Only six chapters and an epilogue to go for this story…. :-)**

**I do not own Glee or its characters**

* * *

Sunday September 20th

I flip a pancake as I hum along to the lyrics to my favorite Prince song. Soon enough, I begin singing along to the song as it plays from the speaker mounted below the cabinet.

_Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with  
I just want your extra time and your_

_Kiss_

I plate the pancake and then pour batter for the next one into the skillet as I begin singing along with the next verse.

_U got to not talk dirty, baby  
If u wanna impress me  
U can't be 2 flirty, mama  
I know how 2 undress me  
I want 2 be your fantasy  
Maybe u could be mine  
U just leave it all up to me  
We could have a good time_

My singing rises an octave as I begin the chorus.

_U don't have 2 be rich  
2 be my girl  
U don't have 2 be cool  
2 rule my world  
Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with  
I just want your extra time and your_

_Kiss_

Her giggle startles me. I'm momentarily confused and immediately realize that we are not in the kitchen. We are lying in bed and she is snuggled against my chest. Keeping my eyes closed, I smile. "What's so funny?"

"You were singing. It was cute."

I open one eye and glance down at her. "What was I singing?"

"_Kiss_ by Prince."

I close my eye and chuckle. "I must have been dreaming."

"Dreaming or not, it was cute. You really rocked those high notes babe."

"You weren't supposed to hear that. Better yet, forget you ever heard it." Suddenly, an idea springs to mind. "Wait I know." I sit up, pulling her with me and then turn my body toward her. "Now, look deeply into my eyes." She raises an eyebrow but obliges, locking her eyes on mine with her head cocked to one side. I take a deep breath, exaggerating it with a high shoulder shrug, and stare into her eyes. I keep my eyes trained on her, for at least a minute, before I quickly raise my hand and snap my fingers in front of her face. It startles her and causes her to blink rapidly a few times but then I watch her eyes narrow slightly. I smile at her reaction and lower my hand. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I um…um…I mean um…" I smirk and then move to lie back on the bed. She turns her head toward me as her eyes follow me with a confused expression across her face. "Babe?"

"Yeah beautiful?"

"What the hell just happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, uh…oh nevermind. I don't even know what to say." She shakes her head and turns her face away from me. "What time is it?"

I glance over at the alarm clock on my nightstand. "A quarter to eight."

"Today's the 20th, right?"

"Yep." I cannot contain the giddy feeling that takes over me. It actually worked!

"OK."

"Someplace to be?"

"No. I'm just making a mental note."

"Of what?"

"The fact that on this day at approximately 7:45AM, Sam Evans lost his mind."

"Mercy…." And just like that, my giddiness is replaced with complete and utter embarrassment.

"No, it's funny. I mean you actually thought that you erased my memory. Seriously?" She throws her head back as she laughs. After several moments, she glances back at me. "You are just too cute for words." She chuckles softly as she snuggles back in next to me. "Babe, even though you don't have the magical ability to erase a person's memory doesn't mean that I love you any less." She looks up at me and scrunches her nose. "You don't need any magical powers."

I give her a devilish smirk. "Well, I do have something that is magical."

"Oh, you do? And what's that?" She smiles as she raises a playful eyebrow at me.

I move and position myself on top of her. "Let me show you."

* * *

Fresh from our second shower, I am stepping into a pair of jogging pants when a chime sounds from my phone. I glance down at it to see a text from the unknown caller with a new date - February 9th. "Hey baby, I just got another date." I stop myself before I try to figure out what the date means. We have already figured out that these dates are significant for Brian and Marley, so there isn't a need for me to try to tie anything in my life to it. I grab the notebook from my dresser, sit down on the bed and jot the detail at the bottom of the list.

"What was it?" Her voice softly rings out from the bathroom.

"February 9th. I just added it to the list." I glance up at her just as she exits the bathroom. My breath hitches at the sight and I smile. She is wearing one of my t-shirts and has her hair pulled up in a messy bun. "Well, you look beautiful."

She playfully curtsies. "Why thank you kind sir." She walks over to where I am seated on the bed, leans down and pecks me lightly on the lips. "So, you have two dates for February and none for May. Don't you find that odd?"

My smile slowly fades. "Actually, this whole thing is odd."

"Why aren't you more worried about this?" She takes a seat next to me.

I shrug my shoulders. "What's to worry about? I have no idea what it means. It seems unnecessary to get worked up about a listing of dates when I don't know if they are past dates or future dates. I would drive myself crazy trying to decipher it. I just know none of these dates are significant to me. There aren't any birthdays, or anniversaries, or any other milestones that fall on these dates. Wait a minute. When is Ally's birthday?"

"October 16th."

"Why didn't I know that?"

"I don't know. It probably hasn't come up in conversation yet." She looks down and then back at me with a small frown on her face. "But babe, my parents' anniversary 2/9 and Spencer's birthday is 8/11."

"Why are you just telling me this baby?" I shift my body so that I am facing her.

"I just thought it was a coincidence. When you got 8/11 yesterday, I didn't think anything of it. But two days in a row you have gotten dates that are significant to me. Could I be the target for these dates?" I watch her eyes scan mine for answers.

I grab both of her hands. "I see the worry in your eyes beautiful, but I really think it's just a coincidence."

"I hope so." She nods.

"Do any of these other dates mean anything to you?"

"Just one. 7/2 is the date Spencer and I were married sixteen years ago." She squeezes my hands as her eyes dart down and then back up at me. "Do you think these dates are supposed to be about me?" My heart drops. I don't want her to worry but now I am starting to wonder. Three of the dates mean something to her. Could they be targeting her again?

I shake my head to clear the thoughts that were forming. "Let me get Tony on the phone." I grab my phone from the nightstand, unlock it and click the entry in my call log with his name. As soon as he answers, I give him an update on the new dates we have received and her connection to the dates. He assures me that from what he has found, these dates are all related to Marley and Brian, but he promises that he will look further into it. Hanging up with Tony, I glance over and look in her still worried eyes. "Baby, Tony is on it. He will find out what all this means."

She closes her eyes as she nods. "You're right. OK. But do you think I should give my parents and Spencer a heads up in the meantime?"

I shake my head. "I wouldn't want to worry them unnecessarily. Maybe we should wait until we hear from Tony?"

"OK, that's fine. I'm really trying not to freak out here babe. Can we check in with Tony after dinner to see what he has found? If still nothing, then I'll have to say something. I won't be able to sleep if I don't."

"OK, that's fair." I lift her hand to my mouth.

"OK. What time do you want to head to my place? Spencer will be dropping Ally off at the house around three."

"How about we go after lunch? The staff should be getting back around that time."

"Sure, that's fine. Oh, and just to warn you, I'm pretty sure she told her dad and Alistair that you are rich. So please be prepared for Spence. I'm sure he will have something to say."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. What about Marley's threat? Do you think she said something to him about that?"

"I don't think so. Mainly because he hasn't called me about it. He would definitely be on the warpath about it, if he knew. Maybe you can invite them over for dinner one night and we can explain it to him together."

"I can do that. Maybe on Friday. Which also reminds me, my cousin Jonathan wants to meet you, and I told him I would see if you wanted to have dinner with he and his wife on Saturday?"

"Sure, that sounds fun."

"Good, I'll let him know. Now enough about that. I'm ready for another shower." I stand and pull her up with me.

"Babe, we can't keep taking showers. We've already had two and it's not even noon yet."

"Oh yes we can. It's still technically the weekend, so we just have to improvise since my cockblocker is already home."

I hear her sharply inhale. "Sam! Stop calling them that. You are so rude." She playfully swats my chest several times as she giggles.

I bring my arms up to protect my chest. "What? His presence is in fact blocking my c-o-c-k from its intended destination. Therefore, he is a-"

"Don't say it! Just so rude!" She shakes her head and giggles more.

"OK, I won't say it again, but you know it's true. Now, come on. Shower time."

* * *

"That is the last shower today." She buttons her jeans as she narrows her eyes at me.

I grin at her. "Maybe, we'll see. Let's get some lunch. I'm famished." I grab her hand and pull her out of the room and into the hallway.

I glance back and see her roll her eyes at me. "Oh, I wonder why?" Turning my head with a smirk, I notice Zack reaching the second floor and walking toward his bedroom. He stops when he hears us.

He walks over to Mercy and pulls her into a hug. "What time will Ally be here?"

Annoyed, I pull her from his embrace and narrow my eyes at him. "A little later. Spencer is dropping her off at home. By the way, I'm planning to have he and Alistair over for dinner on Friday."

"Cool." He flicks my ear and takes off for his room.

I start to run after him, but she catches my arm and stops me. I exhale and then look over at him wearing his silly little smirk. "Mercy saved you." I narrow my eyes at him. "Do you want some chicken salad?"

He grins. "No, I just had a turkey sandwich. I've got a little homework to finish so I am going to do that now, so I won't have to worry about it when Ally is here."

"OK. We are leaving to get her a little after we finish lunch. You tagging along or do you want to stay here?"

"Depends on if I get my homework done or not. Just let me know when you are ready to leave, and I'll let you know then."

"OK." He winks at me and then enters his room, closing the door behind him. "You hear that?" I take her hand and begin to lead her down the stairs. "He's going to be busy in his room doing homework, which means we can go to the basement and have some fun after we finish lunch and before we pick up Ally."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'm not."

We step into the kitchen. "I know we've hit fourteen already."

"Oh, we are long past fourteen, but that doesn't mean that the fun has to end." I wiggle my eyebrows at her as she takes a seat at the table and I take the chicken salad out of the refrigerator.

* * *

We get to Mercy's and wait for Ally to arrive. While we wait, I join Mercy in her bedroom while she gets clothes for work tomorrow. When she goes into the bathroom, I do a little snooping in her walk-in closet. Just as I suspected, four wall-length long shelves full of shoes. Her skirts and pants are hanging on the opposite wall on the bottom rack and shirts are on the top rack. Dresses and blazers are hanging along the back wall. In the center of the spacious closet are several drawers. I open the top drawer and see her 'SEXY' pants neatly folded. I smile as I remember the day she wore them when we were in Florida. "Hey where are you?"

"I'm in your closet. I knew you had more than enough shoes."

"Not that again." She enters, walks pass me and grabs a pair of cream-colored heels from the third shelf.

"I'm just saying."

"Mm hmm." She exits and I follow her back into her bedroom. "Well I think that is everything. We will have to wait for Ally to pack her things when she gets here." I look over at her, lick my lips and raise an eyebrow. "Nope, not that again. Come on, let's go back downstairs."

We are seated in the kitchen when I hear the front door open. A few seconds later, Ally and Spencer enter the room. "What's up Richie Rich?"

And so it begins. I nod curtly at him. "Spencer." I begin counting to ten in my head.

"Hey Spence." Mercy stands and pinches him on the arm.

"Ow!" He looks at her and grumbles. "Hey Merce." His eyes dart to me and then back to her. He smirks. "It's good to see that you two worked everything out."

She smiles at him. "Thanks. Where's Al?"

"He went to Miami to visit his mother this weekend. He should be landing in a couple of hours."

Finally calm from his earlier dig, I clear my throat. "Are you two busy on Friday?"

"I don't think so. Why? What's up?" He sits down in the chair next to me.

"I wanted to invite you and Alistair to my place for dinner."

"Oh, we get to see the manse? I feel so special. I assume this affair will be White Tie, are our normal tuxedos sufficient or do we need to get proper tailcoats?" He holds his chin up and looks down at me with a deep frown as he does his best to mimic a snob.

I just shake my head. "Spencer, please."

"Alright, I'll knock it off. Sure, we would love to. Shoot the address to me when you can."

"Good. I will."

"Well, I'm going to get going." He pats me lightly on the shoulder as he stands. "I'll see you on Friday." He turns to Ally. "Buggy, love you."

"Love you too Daddy. Bye."

"Bye. See ya Merce." He waves as he exits the kitchen.

"Bye Spence." After Spencer leaves, Mercy pulls Ally into a one-armed hug. "We're staying at Sam's tonight."

"OK, I'll get my things together. Where's Zack?"

"He had homework to finish so he is waiting for us back at Sam's."

"OK. Be right back."

Mercy sits in the chair next to me. "You know we have to drive back to your place separately right?"

"Why?"

"Because I have to go into the office tomorrow."

"I can have someone take you."

She shakes her head. "That is completely unnecessary. I am capable of getting myself to work Sam."

I use the only ammo I have to convince her. "Can you just humor me? You've got my mind wondering if they are targeting you. I would feel better knowing that one of my men had you in his sight at all times until we figure out what's what with these dates." While I really don't think the dates are about her, if using that detail gets her to agree with me, then I'll use it.

"OK." She nods. "You make a good point and I would honestly feel safer with that too. But that is the only reason Sam. Once this is all over, I am driving myself to and from work."

"Understood." I lean over and wait for her to turn her face toward me. When she does, I pucker my lips at her. She smiles and then gives me a quick peck.

* * *

After arriving back at the mansion, Ally has joined Zack in his room, and Mercy and I are in the kitchen as she finishes up a short conversation with Ms. Percy. As we exit, I grab her hand. "Let's get the kids and have our talk." She nods and I lead her in the direction of the den.

As we pass the staircase, I yell up the stairs for them to join us. "Zack, Ally, can you come to the den please?" Mercy and I settle on the loveseat and wait for them to arrive. Ally enters first, followed by Zack.

"What's up?" He plops down on one of the beanbag chairs.

"We wanted to sit down with you two and have a talk about what's happened over the last few days." I glance at Zack and then at Ally.

Ally leans her head to one side as she sits on the other beanbag chair. "What's happened?"

I turn my eyes back to her. "Well for starters, Zack knows that his mother is the one who threatened Mercy."

Worry takes over her face. She glances over at him. "Are you OK?"

His face immediately flushes as he clears his throat and nods. "I'm OK Ally-Oop." He clears his throat again and looks down at his hands. "I'm sorry."

She narrows her eyes at him. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything."

"I don't know." He shrugs and keeps his eyes lowered. "I just feel bad. And I know that she works at your school too." His eyes go to hers. "How are you handling that?"

"I haven't seen her the past couple of times I was in the cafeteria. I just try to stay out of her sight and away from her." Ally fidgets with her fingers, her eyes now locked on the floor.

"You know I'm meeting with Mrs. Griffin on Tuesday about this. Hopefully, she will be able to offer some suggestions on what can be done. Above all, I want and need you to feel safe and comfortable while you are at school and if she is making you uncomfortable, we have to address it."

Ally raises her eyes and looks at her mother. "OK, yes, it makes me feel weird when she's there and staring at me. But what can we do about it?"

"Our first step is reporting it to the school. If they do not take any action, then we will have to go another route." Mercy glances at me.

I nod and look over at Ally. "I'll get my attorney on the line first thing in the morning. Your mother is right, sweetheart. We should allow the school a chance to take some type of action, but if they don't, we will."

Ally exhales and smiles. "OK."

I wink at her and then return her smile. "Now, onto a much more pleasant topic. I want you to pick out a bedroom and decorate it however you like."

Her eyes widen and her voice raises an octave. "Really?"

I chuckle at her reaction. "Yes. If you want it painted or if you want different furniture, you just let me know and I will get it taken care of."

A bright smile beams across her face. "Wow, thanks Sam!"

"Sure." I nod and then glance over at Mercy who has an eyebrow arched at me.

"So, do I get to pick out a bedroom and decorate it too?"

I shake my head. "No. You have to share a room with me."

She scoffs. "That seems so totally unfair."

"It's in the contract, the fine print. You really need to read things more thoroughly woman." Our eyes remained locked on each other as she scans and re-scans mine to determine whether I am being serious or not. I guess we remained in our own world because Zack's voice finally draws our eyes away from one another.

"So, are we done here?" He stands and crosses his arms.

I glance up at him. "Something you need to do?"

"Yeah, we wanted to get in the pool before dinner." Ally responds for him as she stands as well.

He nods and then rolls his eyes at me. "Right, and we would much rather do that, than sit here and watch you two doing whatever it is that you are doing."

I just shake my head and chuckle. "Go. We're done. Dinner will be ready at six."

"OK." Zack darts out of the room.

Ally nods and waves as she exits. "See you then."

I turn my eyes back to Mercy. "So, what do you say we go upstairs and have some fun before dinner too?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

She crosses her arms. "Only if I get my own room too!"

I exhale and shake my head. "Fine. You can have the one across the hall from mine under one condition."

She smiles. "Which is?"

"You have to sleep with me every night. Even when you are pissed at me." I stand and offer my hand to her.

"I think I can handle that." She grabs my hand and I pull her up from the loveseat. I then lean down and kiss the tip of her nose.

"Good answer. Come on." As we reach the staircase, the doorbell rings out. I stop an approaching Ms. Percy and let her know that I will get it. Keeping my hand tightly around hers, I take Mercy to the door with me to answer it.

"Sam. Ms. Cedes. Good. You are both here. We need to talk. Your parents will be landing any minute now." Tony enters carrying a folder.

"Why are my parents coming?" Confusion springs across my face.

"We've figured out what most of the dates mean."

"OK, but what do my parents have to do with this?"

"They, or more specifically, your mother, has information on the ones that I do not and wanted to tell you about them in person. She is the best in the business of protecting and keeping a keen eye on her brood. Let's sit and I'll tell you everything I know."

"OK." We go into the living room. Mercy and I take a seat on the couch and Tony takes a seat in one of the recliners. "So, what have you found out T?"

Tony places the folder on the coffee table and opens it. An 8X10 photo of Brian comes into view. He picks up the picture and hands it over to me. He then picks up the inch-thick stack of paper that is inside the folder and begins. "Brian Dennis, 37, army veteran, with two tours of duty. He met Ms. Rose their sophomore year at Daley High School in Richmond, Virginia. The two were high school sweethearts. Your mother has an extensive file on her and can offer the significance for a few of the dates you received. She has been keeping tabs on her since the day you two were married because of a comment Ms. Rose made to Mrs. E all those years ago. She hired a private investigator a few months before your divorce. He has been on her payroll since then and he has an extensive file as well. Now, I'm going to tell you a few things that may upset you, but you need to hear them." I nod and he continues. "I'm assuming whatever Ms. Rose said resulted in your mother having a paternity test done for Z. Don't worry. He is yours, however, we believe this is the root of the reason why Mr. Dennis is sending you these dates. All of our intel indicates that Ms. Rose has informed Mr. Dennis that he is Z's father. Using just the PI's file, we have found the significance for a few of the dates. A few weeks before your divorce was final, **February 22nd**, Ms. Rose and Mr. Dennis moved in together. **June 8th** of this year was the day Ms. Rose and Mr. Dennis became engaged. The PI informs us that Ms. Rose has not been in the presence of Mr. Dennis since **July 2nd**. That fact allows us to draw two conclusions, one that July 2nd was the day that Ms. Rose cancelled their engagement and two, Ms. Rose and Mr. Dennis do not appear to be working together. Mr. Dennis is sending these dates to you on his own, we believe, in an effort to find out if he is in fact Z's father."

"He has been wondering if he is Zack's father for fourteen years?"

He shakes his head as he looks down at the papers in his hand. "No. Ms. Rose just made the statement to him this year, more specifically on **April 14th**. The PI's file indicates that the two were having lunch and got into a heated argument, with Mr. Dennis leaving Ms. Rose at the restaurant after stating, 'You should have told me about the possibility of him being mine years ago.' This occurred two weeks after the PI documented the two celebrating on **March 31st**. The occasion on that date was Mr. Dennis being promoted to the Vice President of the real estate firm where he is employed."

I look over and see the relief wash over her face. The dates don't have anything to do with her parents or Spencer. I grab her hand as I notice the look on Tony's face. "Mercy was worried that a few of those dates where tied to her. She was worried that her family was in some type of danger."

A chime sounds and Tony pulls his phone from the inside pocket of his blazer. "Their flight just landed." He places his phone down on the coffee table. "Now, back to your concerns Ms. Cedes. I can tell you, with some degree of certainty, that your family is safe. Like I said, Mrs. E has information on most of the remaining dates. The only ones that are unaccounted for are January 23rd and February 9th."

I feel myself getting angry. "Wait a minute. If mom has someone following Marley, that means that she knew that Marley approached Mercy at Pandillo's, but she didn't tell me."

Mercy grabs my hand. "I'm sure she has her reasons babe. Don't get worked up about that. We're back together, that's all that matters." Her thumb lightly strokes my knuckles.

I take a few quick breaths as I nod. Mercy is right, as usual. "What about this Brian person pretending to be Zack's principal?"

"Yes. I've been researching that piece since Friday night. And this morning, I finally found the connection. Mr. Dennis is the nephew of the real Mr. Williams. Mr. Dennis' mother is Mr. Williams' sister. My assumption is that he was in the vicinity when the initial meeting was scheduled with you. He then, pretending to be you, cancelled the original meeting with his uncle only to attend the scheduled meeting in his place. We didn't find anything suspicious related to why he kept glancing at his watch other then him doing it. The robo-call you received that day didn't arrive until 10:30AM. His original hope may have been to be there when it arrived to see your reaction, but it didn't pan out that way."

"I didn't even think to show the video to Mr. Williams when we finally had our meeting. He would have recognized him immediately."

"Right, but you know, we could confirm my assumptions. You can give him a call tomorrow and ask him if Mr. Dennis is his nephew."

"I'll do that."

"So that is what I have. Like I said, your mother can fill in most of the remaining gaps." Tony's phone chimes again and he glances down at the screen. "Your parents are here." He stands and goes to the front door to greet them. I hear the shuffle of their feet as they enter and make their way into the living room.

Mercy and I stand as they enter the room. "Mom, Dad. I'm sure you both recognize my Mercy."

"We certainly do. Come here dear. How are you?" My mother embraces her and smiles as they pull apart.

Mercy smiles in return. "I'm fine Mrs. Evans. How are you?"

"I'm fine as well dear." Mom looks over at Dad who is grinning like a fool.

He grabs Mercy's hand and pulls her to him. "Come here gal." He lifts her as he hugs her, causing her to giggle and my jaws to clench. He sets her feet back onto the floor as my mother swats him hard on the back and I narrow my eyes at him.

"Mr. Evans, how are you?" Her smile widens.

"I'm happy to finally meet you in person sweetheart. Where are the kids?"

I slowly unclench my jaws. "In the pool."

"Good. So, where are we?" Mom glances at me as she waits for an update.

Mercy and I settle back down in our seats as my Mom sits next to me and my Dad sits in the other recliner. "Tony has given us the significance of some of the dates and indicated you could help with a few more. I've also learned about the PI you have had following Marley for over six years now."

My dad's jaw drops. "Katty, you didn't."

"Of course I did. I knew she would be a problem; I just didn't know when." She looks over at me. "Sammy, she has had her eyes on your money this whole time. I suspect she only went through with the divorce because I made it quite clear to her on several occasions that Stevie would be your father's successor."

"I believed that Stevie was next in line as well."

She reaches a hand over and grabs mine. "I know you did, but that was never, ever the plan. You are exactly where your father and I wanted you to be. We can also tell you that your father would have retired sooner if she hadn't been in the picture."

I nod, and then look over at her. "Mom, what did she say to you all those years ago?"

"Honey, I'll never forget it. You two had just gotten married and had come to the house for a small reception. I was in the kitchen making another pitcher of tea and she came in and we proceeded to make small talk. A few minutes in, she questioned if there was another wedding ring that you could give her now that you two were married because the simple gold band that she was wearing didn't seem like the appropriate token of your love for her. I looked at her, immediately knowing that 'appropriate' meant 'expensive', and just smiled before I told her that you had given her what you wanted to give her and if she didn't like it, that she needed to take it up with you. She tried to back pedal a bit by asking if I needed some help. I just shook my head and told her that she should join the rest of you back in the family room. I thought she would leave after that exchange, but she didn't and then asked if there was some kind of family heirloom ring from a grandmother or something that she could be given to wear in addition to the band. I again told her that she needed to talk it over with you. After that, she steered the conversation to the baby she was carrying and asked if I wanted it to be a boy or girl. I told her I just wanted a healthy grandchild. I asked her what she wanted, and she said a boy with his **father's blond hair and big blue eyes**. As soon as she said it, she must have realized the slip because she stuttered her way through clarifying that she meant that she wanted her son to have blond hair like his father and blue eyes like his mother. I studied her for a split second and nodded at her before picking up the pitcher and going back into the family room to join the rest of you. Honey, it honestly may have been a slip of the tongue, but her behavior and all the questions about a more 'appropriate' ring gave me an uneasy feeling."

I sit back and exhale. "That's why you had a paternity test done."

She nods. "Yes. I had to know. If the results had shown that Zack was not your son, I would have told you, but he is yours. He is ours."

"What about the PI you've had following her?"

"I saw her and another man walking hand in hand a few months before you caught the two of them. It is the same man, honey. She had been seeing him behind your back for at least four months by that time. I saw them on **August 11th**."

Trying not to let my emotions get the best of me, I quickly clear my throat. "Why didn't you tell me mom?"

She exhales and throws her head back. After a few seconds, she lowers it and looks over at me. "Sam, I struggled with that for a while and came to the conclusion that you needed to pay attention to what was happening around you. I won't always be there to help you. You needed to find that out on your own. There were signs. I saw them, even before I had my PI confirm my suspicions. All of the weekend shopping trips she supposedly went on, only to come back with keychains or shot glasses. For the entire length of your marriage she never worked, yet you told me she was always busy and needed full-time help to care for Zack. You and Zack had dinner at our house three to four nights a week while she was out with friends. Did you ever meet any of her friends? Did you ever ask her what she was so busy doing?"

"OK, I get it. I was inattentive. The only friend of hers that I ever met was Joyce and she was out of state most of the time because of her job. I always thought that as long as she told me she was happy that I was doing my job as her husband." I make a fist with my free hand and begin lightly tapping it against my thigh. Mercy quickly grabs it and twines our fingers. I glance over at her and smile. She winks at me and blows me an air kiss.

My mom squeezes my other hand and I turn my attention to her. "Honey, I don't want you kicking yourself about that. She wasn't the woman for you, and I think you realize that now."

I nod. "I do." I look quickly over at Mercy and then back to my mom. "So, tell me about the other dates where you have found a connection."

"OK. I have already mentioned **August 11th**. I think that date is significant to them because I believe that was the day that they reunited seven years ago. The day that you caught the two of them together was **December 18th**. Almost a month before on **November 27th**, was the Thanksgiving that she didn't spend with us because she said her mother wanted her to attend it with them that year. I later learned that her mother and stepfather had been in Germany, so I suspect that she had spent it with him. Now, the only reason I know anything about this next date is because I started researching him when I first saw them holding year except for this year, he has posted a message on his profile commemorating **September 5th **as the day he met the love of his life over twenty years ago when they both were in high school. The last date I have anything on is **October 6th**. I have this as the date that they first became a couple back in high school. I came to that conclusion because of more posts to his profile each year commemorating the date."

"You know mom, at this point I don't even care what the dates mean. I only want to know why he is sending them to me."

My dad chimes in this time. "Actually son, I think the reason he is sending them is to show you that you were never in a loving, committed relationship with her. That he has always been a factor in her life and that she has always loved him. Look at it as a way for him to twist the knife so to speak."

"OK. And that may have all mattered and elicited hurt from me in the past, but now six years later, it doesn't matter. We are not together anymore. And if she wanted to be with him or had him on the side all this time, why hasn't she just moved on with him?"

Mom squeezes my hand again and shakes her head. "Honey, you are not hearing me. She has been after the money all along. You, against our advice, decided to pay her alimony. If she was to re-marry, she would lose it and while you think it isn't much, it has been enough to keep her unmarried. Brian's worth doesn't compare to yours but when he was promoted earlier this year, it became enough for her to finally agree to marry him."

"So why did she call it off?"

"My best guess would be that she did it because she found out that you had taken over at E&E." My mom glances at my dad and then back at me.

"But how?"

She shakes her head. "No idea but she found out sometime before she called off the engagement in July."

Mercy squeezes my hand and offers her thoughts. "You know, I think the answer is staring us right in the face. Zack. He has probably inadvertently told her more than we realize."

My mother nods at her and then looks at me. "Should we ask him?"

I quickly shake my head. "I would rather not. I want to keep him as far away from this craziness as possible."

"Can I ask why?" I notice the disappointment on my mom's face.

"Mom, he is just a kid. He doesn't need to feel responsibility for any of this."

"Sam, he is hardly a kid. He is a young man and he needs you to be upfront with him. Keeping him in the dark about this may not be the best idea. Just think about it honey."

"I will mom." She nods her head. We all sit quietly for a few moments and just take in all of the information that has been shared. Just as I am about to ask about the different sketches that came with some of the dates, I hear the sound of bare feet slapping against the hardwood floors.

"MomMom! PopPop! What are you doing here?" Zack sprints in with a towel wrapped around his neck. He rushes to my mom first and hugs her. I see Ally walk in with a towel tied around her waist.

"Hey baby. We wanted to see you. It's been too long. How are you honey?"

"I'm good." He turns and motions for Ally to come closer. "This is Ally. She is Cedes' daughter. She's pretty cool."

"Well hello Ms. Ally. Aren't you just as beautiful as your mother?"

She smiles and bashfully shakes her head. "Hi Mrs. Evans. It's nice to meet you."

"No, no, no. You can call us MomMom and PopPop too."

"OK, I will."

I smile at their interaction. "Why don't you two go shower and get changed. Dinner should be ready soon."

"OK." Both Zack and Ally leave and hurry up the stairs.

Tony stands causing me to stand as well. "Well, I'm going to head out. Sam if you need me, please call."

"T, why don't you stay for dinner? We have plenty and I would like to have another conversation with you afterwards."

"You sure there is enough?"

"Of course."

"Then I guess I am staying for dinner."

* * *

After dinner, I pull Tony aside as the others move back into the living room. "Listen T, I need some precautions in place tomorrow. I want two-person details on both Mercy and Ally starting tomorrow and until further notice. I need Carl and Isaac to remain on their post for the entire day. Regardless of what my dad says, I believe all of these dates are more than him just merely trying to twist the knife. I feel like there is something more to this."

"Will do Sam."

"I'll be in my office by 9:00AM tomorrow. I want you to meet me there because I want to go over everything we have with you again."

"10-4. We will keep them safe Sam. I promise you."

"OK. Are you OK to drive? I've got plenty of room here if you want to stay."

"Nah, I'm OK, besides I need to do a few things tonight to get the details you requested in place. I'll be back bright and early to get the kids." We join the others in the living room, and he begins to say his goodbyes. "Z and Ally, I'll see you two in the morning." They both nod at him and he turns his attention to my parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans, it's always a pleasure to see you. If I don't see you again before you head back home, have a safe flight."

"Thanks for everything Tony. Get home safe." My mom waves at him as my dad stands and shakes his hand.

He then turns to Mercy and grins. "Ms. Cedes, have a good night."

She smiles back at him. "Night Tony."

"Mom, Dad how long will you two be staying with us?" I settle down on the couch next to Mercy after seeing Tony out.

"We will be here until Wednesday morning."

I nod. "Good." I look around at the faces in the room. "Anybody up for a movie before we all head off to bed?"

My mom nods. "Sure."

Zack grumbles. "Anything but Avatar."

"If no Avatar, then no Superman." I smirk at him.

Mercy swats my hand lightly. "Let's have your parents pick a movie."

Zack groans. "Aw man. PopPop is going to pick something with Adam Sandler in it."

My dad shrugs as we all stand. "What's wrong with Sandler? The guy is a comedic genius."

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, we have all settled in the theater with our snacks and are finally starting the one movie we could all agree on: _Rocky_. Halfway through the movie, I hear a stifled yawn to my right and glance over at Mercy, whose head is resting on my shoulder. Her eyes are half open but quickly closing. I look over at my parents, who are on my left, to see that they are completely out. Zack and Ally, who are in the row behind us, are completely tuned out and focused on their phones. I lean down to whisper. "You want to call it a night?" She lifts her head up, bringing her eyes to mine, and nods. I quickly place a kiss on her nose and nod. "Zack, Ally, you two ready to head to bed?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, let's go." I stand and pull Mercy up next to me. I pat my dad's arm to wake him as Mercy wakes my mom.

We get my parents settle into their room and then head to ours. "Shower tonight or in the morning?" She throws her eyes over at me and frowns. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you sleep even more soundly afterwards."

A smile slowly appears on her face. "You're right, I do. But babe, I'm am too tired to shower tonight. Let's shower in the morning. Then we will both have an extra spring in our step."

I grin and wink at her. "I like the way you think baby. And OK."

We quickly get into our sleeping attire: a pair of basketball shorts for me and one of my t-shirts for her, and then climb into bed.

"Night Sam. I love you."

"Night baby. I love you too."


End file.
